


Come As You Are

by FireFlower17



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Character Death In Dream, Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Diary/Journal, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Light Angst, Mind Control, Mystery, Mystery Character(s), Mystical Creatures, Mythology References, Original Mythology, Other, Prophetic Visions, Returning Home, Season/Series 01, Visions in dreams
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 202,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23790700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireFlower17/pseuds/FireFlower17
Summary: Ava Fitzroy returns to Mystic Falls in the wake of her grandmother's death. A town her family had fled when she was young to escape demons hiding in the dark. With her return, more strange disappearances and deaths spring up. Slowly her nightmares turn to reality as she descends into the deep darkness of Mystic Falls, led by the dangerous and mysterious Salvatore Brothers. (Starts at Season 1)
Relationships: Alaric Saltzman/Jenna Sommers, Damon Salvatore/Original Female Character(s), Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore/Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore, Jenna Sommers/Original Character(s), Matt Donovan & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	1. Prologue

_"I visited the place where we last met._  
_Nothing was changed, the gardens were well-tended,_  
_The fountains sprayed their usual steady jet;_  
_There was no sign that anything had ended_  
_And nothing to instruct me to forget._

_The thoughtless birds that shook out of the trees,_  
_Singing an ecstasy I could not share,_  
_Played cunning in my thoughts. Surely in these_  
_Pleasures there could not be a pain to bear_  
_Or any discord shake the level breeze."_

**Absence**

**\- By Elizabeth Jennings**

* * *

For centuries, humanity has lived side by side to creatures of the night and more in complete ignorance and my family has continued to ensure that this ignorance continues.

Mystic Falls, a town shrouded in darkness and death, a beacon for these creatures enjoyed it's brief period of peace thanks to my grandmother but that period is no more as the barrier keeping the darkness out has been shattered with her passing. And it is now where I return to now, a town ignorant in blissful ignorance to the oncoming storm.

* * *

_**Prologue** _

* * *

_Four Months Ago..._

The rain battered against my window like bullets as I stared outside, taking a small break from packing my clothes into the maroon suitcase that lay on my bed. The fire in the fireplace crackled bringing warmth into the room, adding more firewood into the fireplace, I shifted my full attention to the rainy view. This was probably the last time I would see this view for a while, the thought of it made me quite sad. This had been my home since I was ten and now who knew when I would see this again. Carefully, I sat down on my bed next to the pile of some unfolded shirts, still staring outside.

My honey skin was wet from the shower, my mahogany hair also wet. I picked up my towel and started drying my hair, walking closer to the mirror to stare at my reflection. My caramel brown eyes were tired from pulling all-nighters. I had spent almost three days and nights preparing for my move back to my birth town. In two weeks time I would be in Mystic Falls away from the constant rain and normalcy.

Two weeks. I had two weeks left in this city before I moved back to the town where I was born. A place that my parents and brother would rather forget. Even I do too despite the sweet nostalgic memories that come with small towns where everyone knows each other. But there was nothing sweet about that small town in Virginia, not with it's constant animal attacks and with people going missing every now and then. Grandma once told me that a shroud of death surrounds Mystic Falls. I used to think she was exaggerating that is until I learned the truth behind grandpa's death. Speaking of grandma, she's actually the reason for my current situation.

A month ago, my parents were informed that my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and that it was too late to do anything. All we could really do was make sure her last moments were comfortable. My aunts, Evelyn and Diana were unfortunately preoccupied with their work and so were my parents. Dad was busy with the firm while mom was busy at the hospital. My brother simply wasn't caring or homely enough. Given the chance to be a caretaker for an elderly person, my brother would probably do everything wrong. That left me to volunteer myself to go back to Mystic Falls. At first, my parents were strictly against me moving back all alone citing the town's history as one of the key reasons as to why. My mom especially was very much against me moving back. I didn't blame her. It's not like she had anything against my grandmother but it was more so the town itself. It was also her birthplace but it was also the place where she became an orphan at just fifteen.

I suspect the only reason why she agreed was because my dad's youngest brother, my uncle Nathanial had also moved back home from Whitmore to take care of my grandma but really, we all knew he probably followed Jenna Sommers back. It was sad to see him constantly get rejected by her but we never said anything about it. It was either Jenna or the recent deaths at the border of Mystic Falls.

Turning my gaze away from the window, I turned back to my packing and this time I focused on finishing this task. Before I knew it I was done. Closing the suitcase, I dragged it off my bed and propped it next to the fireplace. I lay my head onto my pillows and stared at the ceiling, trying to memorize the white ceiling that I would not be seeing for a while.

I turned to my side and grabbed a framed photograph off my bedside table. It showed me as a child surrounded by my childhood friends from my time in Mystic Falls. Seven little faces all huddled together in front of the camera, six with bright smiles while one scowling.

Two blonds, Caroline Forbes and Matt Donovan looked confident but excited. Matt leaned against another boy of similar age who had a grin on his face, Tyler Lockwood, the mayor's son. Caroline, who was standing next to Tyler, leaned forward to wrap her arm around two people, a younger me and Bonnie Bennett, granddaughter of Sheila Bennett, a professor of Occult. While I was in center, leaning towards Elena. Elena Gilbert, daughter of Dr. Grayson Gilbert, laughed at the camera joyously while next to her, her brother Jeremy scowled at the camera.

These were my childhood friends. Ones I had missed day and night since leaving town. In a few weeks I would be seeing them. A smile burst onto my face at that thought. I kept staring at the picture, reminiscing about the childhood that had passed. My eyes started feeling heavy, I started feeling lethargic all of a sudden. I blinked heavily trying to keep my grip on reality. I tried to stay awake and almost memorize the picture in my hand, eyes going over all the familiar faces but now and then for whatever reason they would linger on Elena. I tried my best to stay awake. But I could hold no longer. My eyes shut and I was out.

_Water came rushing in through the broken window wrapping me in it's cold prison. I struggled to breathe as the water flooded the inside of the car. I struggled to get out of my constraints, thrashing wildly side to side while struggling to breathe. Water filled my lungs, replacing the air. I screamed in an attempt to get help but no one heard me. I kept gasping, trying to keep my head up, above the water as the water quickly rushed into the car._

_Where am I? What's happening?_

_Questions flooded my brain as I struggled to grasp at my current situation as the water finally filled the inside. Painfully, I opened my eyes under the cold and harsh water to assess my situation. Looking around, I noticed the interior of a car. In the driver's seat, a familiar man sat trying to remove the seatbelt of the occupant of the driver's seat, another familiar person, a woman._

_Quickly as my conscious came, it faded but not before I felt the window next to me shatter. A shadow outside broke through the window and pulled me out. I felt myself getting further and further away from the depths._

Bang.

I woke up drenched in sweat as loud banging noises and voices filled my house. Quickly, I glanced outside the window to see it was now dark outside and still raining. I must have slept through lunch again. Nightmares. I've always had them since I was young. They were the cause of me being tired most of the time and would often force me to sleep without meaning to. I hated it. But this nightmare felt familiar like I knew who the people around me were as I lost myself to the cold dark depths of the unknown body of water.

A knocking sound broke through my train of thought. The knocking was followed by a tall, thin but muscular boy coming into my room. Danial? What was my brother doing home today? A confused look spread across my face as I stared at him. What confused me even more was the dried tears on his face. Maybe I should have known then and there that it was something to do with our birthplace or that tears would become more frequent in my life but I didn't. I didn't know anything at that time.

"Ava." My brother breathed out my name. He paused to hold himself back from breaking down again before he continued. "It's grandma. She's...she's gone." His voice broke as he talked and a flood of tears followed his statement.

My eyes widened and I stared in shock and horror at my brother. I watched as he broke down in front of me. My brother who hardly cried, was now breaking down. Like a dam had broken, tears fell down my face as I began to sob.

My grandma, Janine Fitzroy was no more. The reason for going back to my home was gone. Just like that. I started sobbing hysterically while my brother engulfed me in a comforting hug.

"It's gonna be okay." He tried to soothe me but deep down I knew it wouldn't be. Things were never going to be okay after this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first story ever here. Hope you guys like it.
> 
> Re watching TVD made me want to write this, this and my love for mythology and folklore. Still a little mad at the ending of TVD (won't spoil it for anyone but it was kind meh), like there was so much potential for the show, some things and lores never explored for example the whole thing with the Sirens and Psychics, the Mikaelsons' being vikings and Norse lore instead of haphazardly throwing in Native lore instead. So many missed opportunities, really.
> 
> The first few chapters should be out in a few days. I don't really have a schedule right now but we shall see.


	2. Brand New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Choosing to stay behind in the small town may have been one of the worst decisions Ava has made when people start disappearing and being found dead. It also doesn't help her nightmares are coming to life and becoming more and more erratic.

Chapter 1: Brand New Day

* * *

> _7th September 2009,_
> 
> _It's been about four months since grandma died. The funeral took place three months ago, we could all barely hold ourselves together. It was raining. God, does it always have to rain every time something bad or sad happens to me. Anyways, it was a short and sweet event. Not as disastrous as grandpa's funeral where uncle Matthew, dad's cousin started a scene about grandpa being murdered by vampires. Vampires. There's a time and place for everything._
> 
> _This time the mood was much worse though. At least at grandpa's funeral it was just the Fitzroys and the families that are related to us through marriage. Grandma Janine's funeral was attended by the whole town, even the newly orphaned Gilbert siblings came which surprised me._
> 
> _I really didn't think they would actually show up. I mean I appreciate their presence but I wished they would have taken the initiative to take care of themselves and simply sent a 'Condolences' card with some flowers. Jeremy looked like he was about to fall apart. I don't blame him, he lost his parents while I just lost another grandparent, the amount of pain and sorrow I felt was probably nothing compared to what the Gilbert siblings were going through._
> 
> _Mystic Falls looked like it was truly mourning the loss of three lives all gone on the same day, two due to an unfortunate accident and one due to an unbeatable disease. An unfortunate coincidence, Mayor Lockwood had said._
> 
> _Like my grandma's funeral, the Gilbert couple's funeral was also filled with the familiar and influential faces of the town. My family had all even gathered prior to grandma's funeral to attend theirs, which was arranged after a few weeks of their tragic demise by Jenna Sommers, Miranda's sister and John Gilbert, Grayson's brother. Out of respect, my family arranged grandma Janine's funeral three months after her death. It was also enough time for us to have a family meeting and discuss the what we were going to do about the thing grandma Janine had left unfinished._
> 
> _Which brings me to what I'm going to do today. Last week, I decided to stay back. My parents and brother were the last of the Fitzroys, well, almost the last of the Fitzroys to leave. My uncle Nate is staying behind to take care of me and take care of my grandma's unfinished business. What's the unfinished business? Well, it's something that I'll write about soon just not now. I feel like the moment I start recording 'that', I'm going to be forced to acknowledge it as my problem and I really don't want that. Call me selfish or whatever but I just want to be happy. And ignorance is bliss._
> 
> _Anyways, wish me luck. I feel like I'm going to need all the luck. Today's the first day of school and I'm the new girl. It's never fun being the new girl. Or in this case, the girl who moved away and moved back after her grandma died. At least, I'm not pretending to be happy and put together like Elena Gilbert or spiraling like her brother Jeremy. I'm just me. Someone that no one in this town really knows much about and I'll keep it that way. Even if I have to pretend to be someone I'm not._
> 
> _Until next time,_
> 
> _\- Ava R. Fitzroy_

* * *

I sighed as I closed the leather-bound journal and shoved it into my bag for now. It was a hard decision to stay but I knew that I owed it to grandma Janine to stay. After-all, I was meant to have taken care of her before her death. Maybe a part of me was guilty for putting off the trip back to Mystic Falls until it was too late. But all that was said and done, there was no time for me to mope around.

Making a mental checklist off all the things I had to do today, I got up from my seat at the table and moved from the sunlit dining room to the empty but warm kitchen. Quickly, I glanced at the clock on the side of the kitchen island.

_7:00 AM_

I still had an hour left before school started. That didn't mean I could relax. I moved towards the sink and placed my empty plate from breakfast and washed it. I hated leaving unwashed dishes in the sink. A trait I picked up from my mom. After that was done, I took out another plate from the dish rack and plated some leftover pancakes for my uncle Nate who I knew was either out running or sleeping from staying up the night before.

"Is that for me?" A rough and tired voice rang out through the kitchen as I turned around to see my uncle walk through the back kitchen door. I stared at him for a while taking in his appearance. He was drenched in sweat from running. His light skin glistening with sweat as he huffed, taking in deep breaths standing in the door to the back garden door. His short dark brown hair was wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead despite his attempts to move them. His dark brown eyes were looking at the plate of pancakes with all of his attention.

Raising my eyebrow, I smiled before replying. "Nope, it was for the dog." I stated before moving to the dining room.

"Very funny, Rosy. We don't even have a dog." He laughed tiredly. "Thanks for making breakfast today." He thanked me, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and closing the fridge. "The maids and the butler should come back next week or so."

I shrugged, picking up my empty plate and taking it to the sink. "No worries." I smiled brightly as I said this.

My uncle looked at me endearingly before he moved to ruffle my hair. I quickly blocked his hands and moved away. Fixing the little mess he had made to my hair, I turned to glare at him. He didn't even look at me instead he walked up the stairs. I followed him to the stairs to check myself in the mirror in the foyer.

Halfway up, he glanced down and looked as if he remembered something. "School." He seemed to mumble. "School. The first day of school is TODAY!" He exclaimed suddenly, surprising me. "Wait. I'm gonna quickly shower and eat before dropping you off. Your mom's gonna kill me if you're late for your first day here."

I looked at my uncle disinterested but endeared nonetheless at his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, but Bonnie already offered to drive me and Elena to school."

"Bonnie? As in Bonnie Bennett, Sheila Bennett's granddaughter? And Elena Gilbert-"

"Yes and Yes" I cut him off before he could ask anymore questions. "I'm going now. I promised Elena, I'd meet her at her house. Y'know for 'moral support'." I finished, using my two hands to emphasize the 'moral support' part. Because really, no matter how you saw it, Elena Gilbert needed all the support she could get. It felt like she was one bad decision from making her life bad to worse.

I turned the doorknob and stepped outside, locking the house. I felt a chill run down my spine. Swiftly I glanced around to see if there was anyone around me. There was no one. No lone runner in the early mornings. No cars driving by. Nothing. Yet I felt cold and scared. Like I was being watched. I felt like a prey being observed by a predator before it's demise.

A flutter of dark wings across my vision broke me out of my trance. A raven? I stared at it with my head tilted to a side confused. It sat on the oak tree's branch staring at me blankly. Then the black bird mimicked me as if it too was confused by my presence. Hesitantly I took a step towards the old tree and almost attempted to touch it.

" _-What's with all the fog?"_

_At the question, I glanced around to see that I was on the outskirts of the town. Well, driving on the outskirts of town. I seemed to be sitting in the front passenger seat this time._

_How did I get here?_

" _It'll clear in a second." Another voice replied next to me from the driver's seat._

_I felt myself being somewhat reassured before I glanced at the road._

" _Watch out!"_

_The man driving stopped but not before accidentally running over the figure. In fear I stared at the driver, who too looked afraid and seemed to be panicking._

" _Are you okay?" He asked me, almost forgetting that he seemed to have just ran over a person._

_I stared at him, dumbfound. "We just hit someone. Oh my god." The shock of the incident seemed to finally hit the woman I was possessing as panic flowed through her body._

" _Call for help." The man ordered me. I watched in shock induced silence as he took off his seat-belt and slid out of the car to check on the man._

_I could briefly hear his footsteps grow fainter and fainter. In that time, I looked around the car for a phone to call an ambulance or something to get some help._

" _Please be alive." The faint voice of the driver was heard for the last time from a distance before silence took over the road._

_I looked up from the phone with dread as I realized that it would impossible to get help since there was no signal._

" _There's no signal! Darren! Darren?" I exclaimed looking around the windows of the car to see both 'Darren' and the figure missing. I broke out in cold sweat and closed my eyes as panic was replaced by fear._

_Suddenly I feel something drop on the car from above, shaking the car violently. I open my eyes widely to see 'Darren' sprawled on top of the car, his face down on the front window of the car, as his blood drips down through the cracks window._

_I scream as loud as I can and open the door to escape only to feel myself get dragged away like a rag-doll._

I feel someone shaking me gently as I'm brought back to reality. My face feels wet, like I had been crying. I tried to focus on my surroundings to get a grip back on reality while brushing away any tears that were still on my face. I was still outside my house, by the oak tree. The black bird was still there, still watching me with it's curious little eyes. But I wasn't alone with it.

"You okay?" Bonnie asked softly from my left side. I nodded and said nothing. She took my silence as an acceptable answer before she led me to her car while she filled me onto all the news I had missed since my last visit.

"So are we picking up Elena now?" I asked, examining the clock in the car.

_7:34 AM_

I wasted more than half an hour in my daydream or day-mare. A first in a while. "Yep." Bonnie replied without any hesitation. "Don't worry about the time, I feel like Elena is going to be a little late anyway." I understood what she was trying to say straight away. Elena was still dealing from being the only survivor of a tragic car accident. She was allowed to be as late as she wanted. She probably wanted to avoid this all together but was forcing herself to face her fears. In a way, I admired that part of her. Most people like me ran from their fears, Elena didn't. I wish I too could face my fears but mine weren't simply phobias caused by traumas. Mine were what was in the dark.

* * *

"So Grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands." Bonnie rambled on about her summer, trying to fill up the silence in the car while she drove us to school.

"Well that sounds great, I wonder if you can predict any future tests we may have" I glanced at Bonnie with a mischievous smirk.

"That would be so useful!" Bonnie replied excitedly. "But unfortunately my 'visions' are the most random things, like seriously I keep seeing random numbers or phrases, now" She continued.

"Maybe those random numbers and phrases are the answers to pop quiz we might have in history or the answers to the algebra test we have yet to have." I offered to reassure Bonnie, only for her to scoff playfully.

I saw Bonnie roll her eyes from the passenger seat where I sat. "Yeahh... well, Grams was telling me that Seers or Oracles are more likely to see the 'precise'-" Bonnie took both of her hands to form air quotes. 

"Hands! Hands!" I repeated warning Bonnie with my brown eyes. 

Bonnie quickly took hold of the steering wheel before continuing. "As I was saying, Grams was saying Seers get a better view of the future and the past." Bonnie's words rang through my head as I thought over it. Seers. I thought they were not impossible but that did not mean they were real. At that moment my nightmares and daydreams flashed through my mind in quick succession. I snapped out of it to notice that not everyone in the car was focused on the conversation. Quietly, I poked Bonnie and signaled to her that Elena was out of it. Again.

"...Elena! Back in the car." Bonnie said slightly worried.

"I did it again, didn't I? I-I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were telling me that…" Elena looked at us apologetically.

"That she's psychic now" I replied with Bonnie nodding at the rear-view mirror.

"I also talked about what I predicted and how unfair it is that I don't get a clear view of the future but Seers do-" Bonnie joined in.

"-Which is totally unfair according to you."

"Exactly." Bonnie stated before looking back at Elena.

Elena smiled and then looked at Bonnie expectedly. "Okay, then predict something. About me."

"I see…"

Suddenly something slams into Bonnie's car causing her to swerve.

"What was that?!" I asked looking around for the object

"Oh, my god! Elena, are you okay?" Bonnie ignored me and looked at Elena with worry.

"It's okay. I'm fine." She quickly reassured us that she was fine but I could tell she was not. To me it seemed that she wanted us to just drop it and move on.

I stayed quiet but gave her a comforting smile while Bonnie tried to console her. "It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere."

"Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life." Elena quickly replied to stop Bonnie feeling guilty.

"Exactly, you can't live your life in fear forever." I paused turning around again to look at Elena. "But just so you know, we are here for you and just for the record, cars are freaky. Like-" I paused again to look at Bonnie this time. "-This one time I heard of an urban legend where a car was haunted and it would appear out of nowhere and abduct people for some satanic ritual."

"Seriously, a satanic ritual, Ava? How original." Elena scoffed playfully while looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

I nodded. Bonnie rolled her eyes at my attempts to lighten the mood. "Well anyways…" She started as she continued to drive to Mystic Falls High. "I predict this year is going to be kick ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and we are going to be beyond happy."

"I hope so too, and it's nice that Ava is back too" Elena added staring at me, leaning forward from the backseat.

* * *

"So this is what the school looks like now?" I asked as I looked around the lockers, taking in the view of the hallway.

"Now?" Elena questioned slinging her bag over her shoulders. "Ava, this is your first time coming through these doors."

"I know. I imagined it to be more…"

"If you say orderly or new, I will actually laugh." She finished for me.

Bonnie stared at both of us, shaking her head at us before looking around. "Major lack of male real estate." She then pointed her head towards a girl that looked vaguely familiar to me "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech." Moving to look at me and Elena, she continued. "She looks like a hot — can I still say 'tranny mess'?"

"No. That's wrong, Bonbon." I swiftly replied shaking my head.

Elena quickly chimed in. "No. That's over."

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders and carried on. "Ahh, find a man, coin a phrase. It's a busy year."

Elena nodded, suddenly stopping to wave at a familiar boy who just ignored her, instead slamming his locker door and walking away like Elena had just spat into his face. Rude. Imagine, ignoring Elena Gilbert with that expression, he better have a good reason. I was a little confused at both of their actions and looked at Bonnie expectedly hoping for an answer. Thankfully Bonnie picked up on how I was feeling and quickly filled me in.

"That's Matt Donovan." She moved her head towards the blond boy who was walking away and whispered.

"No way. That's Matty." I whispered back, barely being able to hear my own voice. "He got hot. He was cute before but now-"

"Yep. And he dated Elena who-"

"-He hates me." Elena exclaimed, interrupting mine and Bonnie's quiet conversation.

"Doesn't look like he hates you." I replied back, staring at Matt.

Bonnie nodded, agreeing with me. "That's not hate. That's "you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits." She added, trying to reassure her.

"Elena. Oh, my god." A loud but peppy voice interrupted Bonnie and me. What was with me and Bonnie getting interrupted today. I rolled my eyes in slight annoyance, masking it with a strained smile which to most people looked genuine.

I watched as a blonde perky girl hugged Elena. She looked fashionable for a girl who lived in a small town her whole life, not that I was judging or anything but her outfit was probably the nicest I had seen so far. She retreated after hugging Elena and took a good look at all of us. Her eyes widened and a smile formed on her face as she closed in on me, attacking with a hug of my own.

"Ava, you're back! I haven't seen you since your Grandma's funeral." She started gushing excitedly. "I thought you would have left. I'm so glad you stayed, I missed my best friend so much. Not that there's anything wrong with Bonnie and Elena but-" She continued, speaking quicker than she did before. Bonnie made a face behind her back, she was offended. "-It's been so so long since we last talked. By the way, I love your outfit" She finished staring at my outfit in approval. I wore a white blouse with a black skirt and black boots. It was simple in my terms but I guess it was enough to gain the approval of Caroline Forbes.

"Nice to see you too, Care." I smiled fondly. "I still wonder how you can talk that much without losing your breath." I stated, slightly impressed at her skill of conversation. Heaven forbid, I ever attempt to speak that much in one go, I'd be left gasping for air.

Caroline beamed at me like a happy puppy before shifting her attention back onto Elena. Her expression changed to one of sorrow or one that attempted to look like she was in pain. It looked somewhat fake and I debated in whether or not I should call her out on it.

But before I could. She went into full concerned mother hen mode.

"How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you. How is she? Is she good?" She looked at Elena and then at Bonnie this time, expecting her to answer for Elena. Was she actually serious right now? Elena wasn't dumb, she could still speak.

"Caroline, I'm right here. And I'm fine. Thank you." Elena ignored Caroline's jibes and replied softly

"Really?"

I seemed to zone out for a while Elena, Bonnie and Caroline talked well Caroline did most of the talking. In that time, I took some time to look around some more. Even though this was the first time, I had been in this building, it felt like I had been here before. It was slightly different from my visions or dreams but it was mostly the same, the only changes in this hallway was that some lockers were now graffiti-ed in an attempt to decorate the lockers. I watched Elena and Caroline finish talking and walk off but not before giving me one last hug. She really loved hugs.

"Now that's done." I began. "Can either of you tell me where the school office is?" I questioned a little embarrassed realizing I should've gone a few minutes before.

Bonnie grinned. "I was wondering, when you were going to go collect your class schedule."

"I forgot, okay." I retorted. "Blame Caroline for being so distracting." Elena laughed and watched as Bonnie dragged us both to the school office.

The school office had no line unlike my last school where the school office was always packed for some reason. Hesitantly I walked onto the window of the school office.

"Hi. Um. I'm Ava Fitzroy, my dad already called a few months ago about me enrolling here." I began staring at the lady sat in the office. In one of my nerve induced habits, I started twirling my black hair. She looked up and smiled.

"Right. Your class schedule is right here. Let me just...print this out." She replied still smiling, her smile was meant to be reassuring but for some reason I couldn't get comfortable. There was a chill at the back of my spine, the same chill I felt earlier in the morning when I was staring at the black bird outside my house.

My hands started sweating slightly. My eyes became unfocused slightly as my hands also started to itch, like I had to physically do something about the chill or something bad would happen. I blinked in an attempt to drive away the chill. I wrapped my arms around my body trying to warm and comfort myself that I was safe. I tried to refocus my vision on the school secretary, watching her getting up from her seat to fix the printer and throw me a look of apology. The chill started crawling up my neck like a snake, I felt suffocated, like something was strangling me.

"-I just need you to fill up this form. Just add your and your guardian's contact details and you're good to go." In my attempts to drive out the chill, I didn't even notice the secretary come back. I quickly caught on to what she said and nodded quickly. Grabbing a pen, I quickly noted down mine and Uncle Nate's contact details and handed the form back to her.

"Thank you. And here you are." She replied, taking my form in and filing it in a new file and handing me my class timetable. "I'm Mrs Clarke, the school secretary. If you need any admin work done or anything, just come to me."

I quickly thanked her and turned around when I accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry, I didn't-" I stopped mid-apology when the chill came back, this time it was worse than I ever felt before. It was suffocating, almost making me faint.

"Are you okay?" The stranger asked.

"-m fine." I gave a reassuring smile without even looking at the person's face and walked away as fast as I could. It had been a while since I had these unpleasant feelings. It was more of an instinct, flight or fight response than a feeling.

I turned around briefly to get a better look at the stranger, not noticing that Bonnie and Elena had walked right next to me.

"Seeing something you like?" Bonnie whispered. I was startled for a minute before composing myself to give Bonnie a playful glare before silently moving my head to the direction of the school office. "Hold up. Who's this?" She asked, squinting her eyes.

Elena craned her head forward and squinted a little before replying. "All I see is back."

"It's a hot back." Bonnie added.

I scoffed. "Pfft. How do you even know he's attractive from the back." I questioned with a grin on my face, trying to ignore the faint chill in my body.

"I'm psychic, duh." She retorted with her tongue sticking out. Elena and I laughed at her response. But for some reason I couldn't ignore my instinct and focused my attentions on the stranger that was standing in front of the office. I zoned out whatever Bonnie and Elena were saying again.

I strained my ears in an attempt to hear what was saying to the stranger. It was hard at first, drowning out the noises from the hallway and the joint voices of Elena and Bonnie but I managed to get a sense of what was saying. It seemed that had incomplete records of him and Mrs Clarke seemed apologetic and confused at the incomplete records. I watched as the stranger took off his sunglasses and said something to her which my ears unfortunately failed to pick up before putting his glasses back on. I don't know what he said but suddenly seemed to hand out a printed out schedule to him. Odd. From what I knew it was hard to enrol as a student with incomplete records then how did he…

My eyes widened as dread filled me. I quickly made my face as blank as possible in fear of standing out. Luckily, it seemed no one had noticed my mood change. I looked back and really looked at 's face to see it devoid of any emotion, it was blank like her mind was somewhere else while her body sat and worked on. She suddenly smiled and went back to her work. _Compulsion_. I didn't know much about that stranger but I did know he was not human. The thought of what he may have been made my blood run cold.

* * *

Bonnie and I sat in her car while she drove us to the Grill. Elena had ditched us to go visit her parents' grave where no doubt she would spending some time there. "Did you see how the new guy was staring at Elena, Ava." Bonnie gushed with her hands on the steering wheel. She was excited at the idea of Elena being happy again and that this new guy could be reason. I smiled weakly, offering no response. Somehow the thought of one of my best friends dating 'that' made me scared more so than nervous. Don't get me wrong, Elena deserved all the happiness but I didn't need to be a psychic to know that someone like him would never make someone like her happy. They were too different. Their diets weren't the only thing different. "History wasn't even the first time he saw her, Elena was telling me, she accidentally bumped into him in the Men's bathroom." Bonnie continued on.

"Men's bathroom?" Bonnie had my attention now.

"Right, Elena followed Jeremy into the men's bathroom."

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope. Jeremy's gone off the deep end and Elena is going to the extremes to get him to go back to being that annoying little brat we all love and hate and not a 'druggie'."

"A 'druggie'. Jeremy Gilbert is doing drugs?!"

"And dealing or I think he is." She replied this with some uncertainty leaking into her voice. "If you ask me…" She trailed off as she made a turn. "It's Vicki Donovan's influence. She's really keeping up her mom's legacy, if you know what I mean." She finished off before stopping outside the grill.

I got off first and Bonnie followed. I said nothing, processing all the information Bonnie had basically blurted out to me. The Gilbert siblings seem to be one blow away from a disaster and something told me, maybe it was one of my 'feelings' or just my pure observation, that it would be the new boy who would make the final blow, either him or something related to him.

"Bonnie! Ava!" Caroline shouted as she ran towards us and hugged us in welcome. She really liked hugs.

"Hey, Care." I greeted with a smile. "Should we go inside?" I asked, pointing at the grill. "I'm kind of looking forward to seeing this place again."

"Trust me, you shouldn't. It's not all rosy." Bonnie swiftly replied, laughing slightly at the pun she made.

The grill was the same as I remembered, maybe it had gotten bigger slightly. The owners might have expanded the grill to accommodate the growing Mystic Falls population. I mean, after all, this was one of the few places for the members of this town to gather and relax. This was also one of the few places that served alcohol to high-schoolers when none of the deputies or the sheriff were here. The booths looked slightly nicer than they used to. That was the only thing I could say had changed really.

Caroline led me and Bonnie to a booth. The minute we sat down, Caroline opened her mouth and laughed. I stared out at her confused before realizing what this was about. "This is about the new guy isn't it?" I sounded slightly tired but maybe because I was. Even if I did have a natural dislike to his kind, at this moment, I pitied him.

She nodded excitedly. "His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue."

I was impressed to say the least. Caroline knew how to get information and I had to hand it to her for that skill. "You got all of that in one day?" Bonnie asked, more skeptical than impressed.

"Oh, please, I got all that between third and fourth period. We're planning a June wedding."

I scoffed. "We?" I questioned. "Caroline. Does this 'Stefan' even know of your existence?" I questioned, now I was the one being skeptical. Caroline didn't respond but simply rolled her eyes. Bonnie broke into a fit of giggles at my response. I didn't blame her, it was funny how easily Caroline falls in love with her. I always found this trait of her concerning, imagine her falling for the wrong guy. Stefan's not a great guy, despite what he is but then again I don't know him. Besides, the whole idea of dating a 'bad boy' may seem attractive on paper and in imagination but in reality it was harsh and painful. Of course I personally have never experienced this but I was right. Caroline seemed to know what I was thinking and gave me a look that clearly said that she really believed Stefan was the one.

While waiting for Elena, we talked more about what happened in my absence. Bonnie finally managed to finish telling me about what really happened between Matt Donovan and Elena. Caroline wasn't exactly silent the whole time, here and then she would make remarks about how it was wrong for Elena to just break up with him out of the blue at the night of the accident. I silently agreed, not voicing my opinions, but it seemed strange for Elena to do something like that. She loved Matt. She had always loved him since we were kids, to suddenly break up with him with the excuse that she wanted something different was beyond weird. Elena wasn't the type to want different, she never had been, she always preferred things to be constant with her future. It was almost like someone had influenced her decision on the relationship or maybe I was simply overthinking.

"Speak of the devil and he shall come." Caroline whispered as Matt, the subject of our many conversations walked towards us. He was followed by Tyler Lockwood, Mayor Lockwood's son.

Matt walked right up to me and greeted me with a smile. "Ava, nice to see you again." He greeted with a smile as he hesitantly took a seat.

"Hi, Matty. Nice to see you too. Can't lie I did miss your blue eyes." I replied, batting my eyelashes and sipping my milkshake. I watched as a blush spread across Matt's face.

"Um. Yeah." He seemed at loss of words. Caroline and Tyler, both looked slightly impressed and amused at what I had just done. Matt quickly struggled to compose himself before he asked us the question we all knew he would. "How's Elena?" He asked, staring at Bonnie.

Bonnie huffed before responding in a soft tone. "Her mom and dad died. How do you think?" She asked, stating the obvious in the process. "She's putting on a good face, but it's only been four months."

"Has she said anything about me?" I nearly spat at my drink at Matt's ignorance. He was a sweetheart but Elena's parents just died and this was the only thing he could say. Way to keep the dumb jock stereotype Matty. I was slightly disappointed in him at this moment. I blame Tyler for this.

"Oh, no. So not getting in the middle. You pick up the phone and call her."

"I feel weird calling her. She broke up with me."

"Give it more time, Matt."

Suddenly, everyone in the grill went quiet for a moment as Elena entered the grill. It wasn't because she came in. Don't get me wrong she's a pretty girl but in a small town pretty girls are not what catch people's attention. It's their company that does. And she wasn't alone. She was with someone and they seemed to be quite close. We all looked on in surprise as Elena made her way to her booth with Stefan Salvatore, the new boy, the one who gave me bad feelings. I turned to look at the pair and Matt, going back and forth without anyone noticing.

Matt's face twisted from hopeful to a bitter and sour look as he got up. "More time, huh?" He walked over to Stefan and Elena.

"This can't be good." I said under my breath as I watched their exchange.

"Hey, I'm Matt, nice to meet you."

Stefan glanced at him, a little apprehensive about greeting him at first but I watched as he smiled tightly. "Hi. Stefan." He greeted as he and Elena made their way to us.

"Hey." Elena said somewhat awkwardly, looking like she had caught doing something she shouldn't have done.

Matt looked at Elena, pained he greeted back. "Hey." I shifted in my seat and moved closer to Caroline to let Stefan and Elena sit. The chills came back, although, this time it wasn't as bad the first time I had bumped into him in school. It was there but faint.

The minute the couple sat down, Caroline began her interrogation. "So, you were born in Mystic Falls?"

"Mm-Hmm. And moved when I was still young." Stefan replied, looking like he was thinking of the past.

Bonnie then leaned forward. "Parents?"

"My parents passed away."

Elena looked pained. She knew what it was like to be orphaned, no doubt she shared whatever Stefan was feeling right now. She squeezed his arm in sympathy. "I'm sorry. Any siblings?"

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle." Stefan's response made me narrow my eyes slightly.

"Your uncle, Zach Salvatore?" I questioned. A buzz of energy seemed to fill the air, something Stefan must have felt as he too stared at me. He swallowed before he nodded.

Caroline laughed. "Ava, Zach's the only other Salvatore in this town."

"I know." I retorted. The buzz was growing. "I didn't know he had a nephew." I stated tilting my head in mock confusion, making myself to look slightly dumb.

"Distant nephew, actually." He corrected.

"Oh Ava, always the fact checker." Caroline said to ease the growing hostility in the air.

Bonnie also must have also sensed as she rushed to join in. "Yeah, you wouldn't think that she's the artsy and hippy one."

"I'm not a hippy." I pouted, releasing my air of hostility. The buzz now gone.

"Must be the Fitzroy genes then. All Fitzroys are very keen on facts." Caroline went on, ignoring what I said before.

Stefan looked at me. Like really looked at me, sizing me up. A flicker of recognition crossed his face. "You're a Fitzroy?" He asked.

I simply nodded, not sharing anything else. I knew what the question truly meant. He wanted to know if I knew. If I knew who or what he really was. Even if I did which I may have. I wasn't stupid enough to put my neck on the chopping block. Caroline seeing that the conversation was dying and attempted to revive it. She turned to her current source of attraction and smiled flirtatiously at him "So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow." She started. "Ava already knows but she's not really new." She rambled slightly.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls." Bonnie bringing it back to the point.

I watched as Stefan turned to Elena to ask if she was going but before she could answer, Bonnie spoke on her behalf. "Of course she is."

* * *

Distracted, I walked in the foyer of the Fitzroy manor. I took out my keys and hung them in the key holders. "Uncle Nate, are you home?" I asked loudly. A muffled reply came from the kitchen. A smile spread across my face as I walked to the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, the smell of freshly baked pizza invaded my senses, welcoming me. "You made pizza." I stated, taking a seat on the kitchen island.

Uncle Nate, wearing oven mittens and an apron looked at me and nodded as he struggled to hold the phone in one of his hands while the other was occupied by the pizza pan. "Yeah, Liz. I understand. I'll tell you if I get any...y'know." He spoke into the phone. My ears perked up and I leaned a little to listen to the conversation. He noticed my interest in his conversation, he mouthed that it was Sheriff Forbes, Caroline's mom. I froze when I realized what this was really about. The situation must have been pretty serious if Sheriff Forbes was calling my Uncle.

I distracted myself by texting Caroline. She kept swearing that Stefan was totally smitten with her. Poor girl. She never stood a chance. It was obvious to everyone except Caroline that the only person Stefan had eyes for was Elena Gilbert. I suppose it was a good thing for Caroline. I knew her mom would die before she let Stefan near her daughter. I looked back at my uncle.

"No, Liz. I'm not hiding anything. If I did I wouldn't have agreed to be part of the council on behalf of my family." He looked frustrated as he said this.

"I'm as angry as anyone in the council." He spat out. "If anything, I'm more pissed than anyone else." He stated, slamming the pizza pan onto the kitchen counter startling me and causing me to back off. "Listen. My mother died to protect this godforsaken town. So don't you dare accuse me or anyone in my family for that matter for the attacks." I made a motion, telling him to calm down. He nodded understanding and took deep breaths before continuing.

"As I was saying, if I sense anything. Anything. Even the smallest thing. I will follow that lead and believe me YOU will be the first person to know." He calmly uttered, running fingers through his head in an attempt to cool himself down. "Yes, I'm pissed. Why wouldn't I be, Liz? You just straight up accused me and my family of having something to do with these attacks."

"Let's get one thing straight, we have been in this town for about four months while the attacks only occurred recently." Uncle Nate drew an imaginary line in the air as he spoke. "Besides, we take vervain religiously, even though most of us don't need it." He breathed out, taking off his mittens after placing the pizza pan on the counter on top of a towel. "Apology accepted. Next time, tell Mayor Lockwood to not let you do the dirty work."

"Oh don't sound so surprised, Liz. It's pretty obvious Mayor Lockwood was the one who suspected us. He's too paranoid for his own good."

"Look, Ava's back from the grill. I'm gonna hang up before she...Good Night, Liz." He cut off the phone call, waiting for the line to fade to silence before turning around to face me. He took out a pizza cutter and cut the pizza into equal slices. "Pizza?" He offered as he grabbed a plate and picked up a piece for himself.

I gave him an awkward smile. "Thanks but I already ate." He nodded in understanding before sighing and shoving the pizza into his face.

"I'll-" He said as he chewed. "-leave you some."

I grinned as I watched him. "Don't talk with your mouth full." I stated, getting up to get a glass of water. I passed the glass to him and watched him finish all of it in one go. I walked away and entered the living room and sat on one of the couches in the living room. Grabbing the remote, I turned the TV on as I got comfortable. I flipped through some channels, just channel surfing before settling on WPKW9, the local news channel. I heard footsteps from the kitchen and heard my uncle sit down on another couch.

He sighed. He got my attention. I didn't look at him but still kept my attention on him. "You sounded pissed." I stated.

"Why wouldn't I?" He began by shoving another piece of pizza into his face. "The Council just straight accused us of orchestrating the recent attacks in town."

"Recent attacks?" I questioned, alarmed that things would get this bad so quickly after grandma died.

"They are not attacks. Really." My uncle began. "More like people-"

" _This is Andie Star for WPKW9, a search party has officially been called thanks to the efforts of Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes who vowed to find the young couple Brooke and Darren. The couple went missing late last night. Their car was found with the hood and roof smashed with blood splattered across the front window."_

_A picture of a smashed car filled the screen before going back to Andie in the studio._

" _The couple nowhere to be found. In spite of the lack of evidence, Sheriff Forbes has promised that she will do everything she can to find the couple."_

_Andie faded out from the screen again, before huge pictures of young woman and man took over the screen._

_MISSING PERSONS: BROOKE AND DARREN_

"-going missing." My uncle finished tired.

"The Council is going to spin this as an animal attack, aren't they?" I asked without taking my eyes off the screen. It was the same couple from my vision. I knew right away what really happened to them. They weren't missing. They were dead. I saw them die. I felt 'Brooke' die and it was painful. It wasn't the first time my visions had true and it wasn't the last.

"Not if they are found." He replied back. "Otherwise it's a mountain lion, a wolf or whatever. Take a pick."

I sucked in a breath and let go, biting my lips. "...They're not missing." I stated, my voice devoid of all emotions. "They're dead."

"How did you know-" I didn't need to look at my uncle to see that his expression had hardened. "You had a nightmare."

I glanced at Uncle Nate. "Not exactly. It was...a vision. I guess...it was in the morning when I was waiting for Bonnie outside."

"You need to be careful." He warned me while he leaned forward on the couch.

"I know."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You..." He trailed off, hesitating, debating on whether or not he should finish or even ask what he was going to ask. "Did you get a weird…"

"Yeah…"

"Same." He admitted silently. "I think it's best if we don't tell the council until we know more in the meantime-'' Uncle Nate took the remote out of my hands and turned the TV off. "-you should go to bed, you have school tomorrow." Numbly, I nodded, getting up and heading upstairs. As I got ready for bed, the faces of Brooke and Darren haunted me. I could still feel Brooke's fear and pain when she died. Unconsciously, I grabbed my neck, feeling smooth skin with no puncture wounds.

* * *

I sat bored out of my mind in History. Mr Tanner had a talent. A really rare talent which was to make my favorite subject, the least interesting and the most mind-numbing class I had ever sat through. Mr Tanner also seemed to have a habit of embarrassing and almost bullying his students, a fact I learned within ten minutes of the class starting. I had met him a few days ago and I could not stand him already. And I was a very tolerant person. Now and then I would catch him glare at me, ready to call on me before shutting his mouth and turning away.

"-Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett." I focused back on the class only to see him insult Bonnie and turn to Matt for an answer to whatever question he had asked. "Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

"It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it." Matt smiled mockingly at Tanner.

Tanner huffed loudly and went back to his table, clearly getting annoyed by the sheer lack of answers. I almost felt sorry for him. Then, He narrowed his eyes on me and walked near my seat. "What about you, ? I'm positive you would know something other than doodling in class." I take back what I said before.

I rolled my eyes and retorted. "I know that this isn't in the syllabus." I wasn't wrong. Civil war was part of the syllabus, the town's history on the other hand was not. My guess was that Mayor Lockwood wanted to educate the 'youth' of this town's history and Tanner was more than happy to help.

He glared at me before clicking his tongue. "Disappointing but not surprising." He moved away from me as he continued to complain about me. He stopped and looked at Elena "Hmm. Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?"

"I'm sorry, I-I don't know." Elena nervously replied.

_BAM._

Mr. Tanner loudly dropped his book onto his desk in anger and frustration. "I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." He spat out. That bastard.

"There were 346 casualties." Stefan suddenly retorted, defending Elena. "Unless you're counting local civilians." He added after turned to look at him.

Tanner turned around to glance at Stefan with some interest. "That's correct. Mister...?"

With his jaws clenched but still trying to be civil, he obediently answered. "Salvatore."

"Salvatore." He repeated. "Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

"Distant."

"Well, very good." He smiled. I wish I could unsee that. Then he's face twisted into a look of arrogance. "Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle."

Stefan sat up in his seat, ready to correct him. "Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons." He replied without missing a beat. "They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner."

The class became silent as we silently looked back and forth from Stefan to Mr. Tanner. I was waiting for Tanner to say something. He did nothing. Instead he turned away from the class as the bell rang. I turned to pack up but also to glance at Stefan, I'm not going to pretend that what he did for Elena wasn't nice but now a feeling of guilt overtook me as I realized I may have judged him a little harshly. I made up my mind then that I would get to know him before I acted next. After all, if he did end up being as bad as what he was, I could always hand him over to the Council which would get them off my family's back, potentially killing two birds with one stone.

* * *

Cold. That was the first thing I felt walking through the woods to get to the party. I grabbed my black blazer tightly around me and adjusted the brown cross-body belt as I made my way through the woods. My scarf blew in the wind. I loosened it and re-tied it around my neck to secure it more. I knew I should have just taken Bonnie's offer for a ride but instead I had to turn her down to listen to one of my uncle's Council meeting recaps which was not informative at all. Darren and Brooke, the young missing couple were dead. Not that I didn't know that already. There was most possibly something unhuman in this town. That I knew as well. I really should've skipped that recap.

The wind blew gently past me, rustling the leaves. Fall was coming, I could see it on the trees thanks to the moonlight, they were slowly turning a green-yellow. I stopped to admire the view, it was a full moon. Suddenly, my blood ran cold, a chill ran down my spine. My eyes widened as I realized that I wasn't alone. Slowly, I unzipped the bag and took out a dagger. It looked ancient and to a normal person, it looked rusted and weak but it wasn't rust that covered the dagger. It was blood.

I felt someone or something run in the opposite direction. I turned around to look at what it was before I heard Jeremy screaming for help. I debated whether I should go find Jeremy or go follow that thing. I decided against following that thing. It would be stupid if I did and I didn't want to die. Quickly, I sprinted towards Jeremy's cries of help.

"Jeremy? Elena?" I looked at the two before my eyes moved down to the girl lying on the ground. Her neck was bleeding and she looked close to death. Without a delay, I moved to check her pulse. "She's alive." I breathed out in relief.

"Here." I loosened my scarf. "Put this on her neck." I offered the scarf to Elena, knowing she would probably be better at this. Elena grabbed my scarf from my hands and without a delay put it on Vicki's neck.

"Jeremy, can you carry her?" Jeremy nodded, moving to pick up the girl.

As we walked back out of the woods, I could feel someone's eyes watching us as we moved. I ignored that feeling as best as I could and focused on the dying girl. I grabbed Elena arms and gave it a squeeze to comfort her. She looked close to having a breakdown. It must have been hard for the Gilbert siblings to constantly be around death. I was used to death but they were not. Hopefully there wouldn't be a death today if we moved fast enough.

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed as she broke through into the party.

Matt pushed through the party-goers. "Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?!" A crowd had formed watching the girl.

"What happened to her?" Tyler asked shoving people to get to the front of the crowd

Matt stared at Vicki with widened eyes and tried to control his emotions. "Somebody, call an ambulance!" He ignored his best friend and commanded.

Tyler took the hint and tried to control the crowd. I stood next to Jeremy and watched the crowd move back. "Everybody back up, give her some space!"

"It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood." Elena said with tears streaming down her face. "Ava, she..." Elena gasped for breath to compose herself. "She used her scarf to stop the bleeding"

In the chaos, I noticed that Stefan was gone just as the ambulance arrived. I watched tiredly from the side as Matt and the paramedics took Vicki in. Jeremy and Tyler promised Matt, they would visit Vicki in the hospital. I silently promised myself that I would also visit Vicki tonight or anytime this week. Bonnie walked towards me and told me she wanted to go to the Grill and if I wanted a ride. I turned it down. My uncle had texted already telling me he was coming in ten. I did agree to go get to the Grill.

Bonnie stood next to me while we stared silently at the place where the ambulance had been. "Do you think I'm psychic, Ava?" Bonnie suddenly asked.

I bit my lips, a little conflicted on how to reply to her question. On one hand, I knew there was something out there but on the other hand this was Bonnie, the girl I had grew up with, an example of normalcy. I breathed out. "I don't know." I answered honestly. "Why? Did something happen?" I asked in turn, staring at her.

Bonnie said nothing but went off to where Elena stood. I rolled my eyes exasperated and followed after her. "Hey. We're gonna go to Mainline Coffee, wait for news." Bonnie greeted Elena with a comforting smile.

"Want to come with us?" I offered.

Elena looked at us both apologetically. I knew she was taking it hard, finding Vicki like that. She probably wasn't over the whole PTSD-thing. "I gotta take Jeremy home." She tried to make an excuse.

Bonnie breathed out disappointed that we would be one person short. She then grabbed our arms. "Guys, there's no way I'm psychic." Bonnie started again with a serious look on her face. "I know that. But whatever I saw, or I think I saw, I have this feeling…" She trailed off with a faraway look on her face.

"Bonnie, what?" Elena and I asked at the same time. Both of us scared.

"That it's just the beginning." She finished. A faraway look in her eyes.

* * *

I sat at the Grill next to Caroline and watched as she downed her coffee. I can't believe this is how she acts just because she got turned down by a guy. It was pathetic. Caroline could do so much better than Stefan Salvatore and I wanted to tell her that and so I did. "Care-"

She rolled her eyes. "I know. I know. 'I'm so much better than Stefan Salvatore, I deserve better' is what you're gonna say" She cut me off.

Bonnie huffed in annoyance. "Are you sober yet?" Bonnie asked, rolling her eyes at Caroline being dramatic.

"No." Caroline retorted with a child-like pout.

"Keep drinking. I gotta get you home. I gotta get me home."

"Why didn't he go for me? You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?" She started complaining, clutching her drink.

Bonnie shook her head and gave me look. I felt bad for all of us right now. This night had gone from bad to worse. "I'm not touching that." She replied.

I patted Caroline's back soothingly, trying to cheer her up. "That's their problem. There's someone better out there" I comforted her.

"No there isn't!" She cried out. "I know why. I know why I'm not good enough!" She stated before pouring herself another drink of coffee from the jug. "I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And...Elena always says the right thing. She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything. And I try so hard, and...I'm never the one." I understood her pain. It was hard being the best friend whose always in the shadows. I laughed slightly and threw a sympathetic look to her. I was in her place before I left.

"It's not a competition, Caroline." Bonnie softly said, trying to defuse the growing hostility. Bonnie was always the peacekeeper in situations like this but unfortunately this time I didn't agree with her.

"Yeah, it is." Caroline and I retorted at the same time. "Sometimes it is" Bonnie looked at us both, she was shocked that I had even thought of Elena this way. It was a competition for us not Bonnie. Elena was smart and pretty and everyone would love comparing me, Caroline and her. It's not like Bonnie wasn't like us but it was more to do it Founders' families and big egos. My family sometimes still brings up how Elena is smart and how strong she is for holding herself together. It didn't help Elena always got the guys and grades.

"See, Ava gets it." Caroline said, her eyes puffed up from crying.

Ding. My phone went off. I stopped and took out my phone and opened it. Uncle Nate was here. I got up from my seat and paid for my drinks. I signaled to Bonnie that my uncle was here. She understood and waved goodbye to me as I walked out. I quickly walked to my uncle's car and got in.

"Hospital?" He asked.

"Hospital." I confirmed.

* * *

The clean white walls of the hospital were all but devoid of life as we walked to where Vicki Donovan was taken. The chairs outside the rooms were mostly empty except one. Matt Donovan sat clutching his hands in a desperate silent prayer for the life of his sister. He was so focused in his prayer that he didn't even notice me and my uncle approach him. I straightened my brown skirt and black blazer. I tapped his shoulders getting his attention.

"Matt?"

"Ava?" He looked at me shocked and surprised. "How did you-"

"I brought her here." My uncle replied before he could finish. "Hope you don't mind, we already paid Vicki's hospital fees."

"You shouldn't have. I can-"

"No you can't. Your mom is God knows where, doing God knows what." I cut him off. He was too nice sometimes. "And I asked around. Vicki's the only one with a job."

"I'll get a job and pay you guys back." He tried again.

"It's fine, really." Uncle Nate insisted.

"Matt." I began. "I was one of the people who found Vicki. I came through the woods. If I was faster, I could have even stopped whoever or whatever it was instead of Jeremy and Elena finding her like.." I breathed out and looked at Matt with a somber expression. "...that. It's the least I could do."

Matt nodded in understanding while my Uncle closely watched the exchange. "How's Vicki?" I asked.

"She's-" Just as Matt was about to speak, a nurse came in and said that visitors could go in. Matt let us come with him despite us not being family. He tried to calm her down and assure her that she okay. He glanced at us for support. I sprang into action, rubbing circles around Vicki's back in soothing motion. "Vicki...Hey. Hey, it's okay. You're gonna be okay." He tried calm her down.

"Matt-" Vicki mumbled weakly.

"Hey, don't try to talk, okay? You're fine."

Vicki looked around the room. "Vampire." She said before she lost consciousness again. Matt looked confused and concerned. Uncle Nate and I stared at each other in silent horror as Matt rushed to call the doctor and nurses.


	3. The Night We Met

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ava starts to settle in her new home, Mystic Falls starts gearing up for the celebration of a once in hundred years event, the night of the comet. A sign of hope and darkness. But more importantly, the beginning of something.

Chapter 2: The Night We Met

* * *

> _September 9th 2009,_
> 
> _Things are already changing in Mystic Falls, Grandma Janine has been dead for a few months and there's already a few deaths. I don't know much right now but I do know two things. One, vampires are real and they are here in this town. And two, Stefan Salvatore is a vampire._
> 
> _Because of them, there's a new death almost everyday. Uncle Nate doesn't know what to do. I know I don't ever want to get involved in this mess and he respects that. Unfortunately, the Founders' Council doesn't. They keep pressuring our family to do something about these attacks. Like what do they expect us to do. Do what Grandma Janine did? No one can do that, it'll be like throwing away your life to keep something out. It's pointless. We don't even know whose doing all of this. I know for a fact it's not Stefan Salvatore even though he's a vampire. No, it's not him. I'm sure of it. That's why I didn't tell Uncle Nate about Stefan. It's someone else. I just don't know who. And that someone almost killed Vicki Donovan. I still dread to think what could have happened if I didn't stop the bleeding in time._
> 
> _All my life I had only been told stories of them and how to use my instincts to sense one, how it feels when one is near, their basic characteristics etc. Sensing one is so much different than being its description. It felt like death._
> 
> _\- Ava R. Fitzroy_

Shutting my journal, I looked up and breathed out. It was getting hard to live here and it had been only a few days since school started. Thoughts of Vicki's near-death experience ran through my mind as I sat in the Fitzroy garden surrounded by flowers and herbs, clutching my journal in my hand. I was home alone with my thoughts. Uncle Nate had dropped me off at school in the morning and went back to Whitmore to work on his thesis. So I sat here, just thinking about how things were gradually going bad. My eyes randomly focused on a shrub of purple flowers. Putting my journal down on the garden bunch, I walked towards the flowers. The citrus-like scent instantly invaded my senses, slightly overwhelming me.

Despite it's citrus-like smell, it clearly had its own scent and use as well. Slowly, I plucked a handful of the flowers and walked back to the stone garden bunch, picking up my journal, I made my way back into the kitchen. I decided that I was going to turn these flowers into tea and other various things. I knew what these flowers were. _Vervain._ Officially known as verbena, the only thing other than sunlight to affect vampires. It still confused me how vampires like Stefan walked in the sun but that was something I would never ask him. Asking him, meant getting involved in that mess and that was something I did not want. I did care about people but not at the expense of my life.

* * *

The hospital halls seemed eerily quiet in the day. I had decided against staying at home all day and instead I decided to pay Vicki another visit. I walked up to the Nurse's desk, observing her for a bit before approaching her.

I loudly cleared my throat as I approached her. _Nurse Haynes._ "Hi, I'm here to see Vicki Donovan" She looked up in annoyance at me.

"Right." She puffed up her face and blew out some air before tiredly moving to grab the visitor's log. "Name please."

"Ava Fitzroy." Her eyes widened slightly hearing my family name. Hearing me speak, she straightened her back in her seat and focused all her attention on me.

"Ms. Fitzroy, please sign here." She handed me a pen and stared at me sincerely. I said nothing and just wrote my name and time of visitation down. Setting down my pen, I looked up at her and nodded before walking towards Vicki's room.

Walking through the hallways of the quiet hospital, I made my way to Vicki's room. Matt had texted me her room number in the morning. He had also asked me if he could still pay me and my Uncle back for Vicki's treatment which I denied. It was the least we could do after all. Since last night, he had kept me constantly updated with Vicki's condition like how earlier she had stated a vampire had attacked her. I was concerned to say the least. Unfortunately, I could not get involved at all. And poor Matt was gonna be forced to stay in the dark until someone else told me.

I reached Vicki's door and was about to go in when Matt came behind me and greeted me with a tired smile. "Ava. Thank you for coming."

"What are friends for." I offered a bag of food and water to him. "I brought you something. I know hospital food isn't the best."

"I...I can't accept this, Ava."

"Nonsense. You came to the hospital straight after school and you probably didn't even take time to have lunch."

"Well..." He trailed off, looking guilty.

"You can't look after Vicki, if you don't look after yourself." I forced the bag into his hands and stood to stare down at him. It had little effect. It was almost funny. Matt was almost 6'0 and I was only 5'2.

I grinned and opened Vicki's door and walked in with Matt following me in but before he could do anything. A hysterical Vicki greeted us. She looked around lost and confused. Matt sprang into action, coddling Vicki and checking over her. I watched from a distance as Matt tried to comfort Vicki.

"Whoa! Vick. Vicki, hey. Vick, it's Matt. Hey, what's wrong?" Matt grabbed hold of his sister and attempted to calm her down.

"No! No! Get off! No! No! No!"

"Vicki, it's okay. You're safe now." I soothed her as I slowly walked close to her

"Get away from!" She pushed me and Matt away.

"Nurse!" Matt screamed in desperation as he went out, not before giving me a look to stay and look after Vicki.

"Matt!" I followed but not before looking at Vicki in concern. "Dammit!"

I went out of the room to find Matt and a doctor. It was clear that she had some kind of trauma from her attack. I didn't make it far before I stopped. _Vampire_. There was a vampire nearby. I looked around and hid nearby and made myself small and unnoticeable.

I watched over Vicki from the shadows and waited for the vampire to walk in. To not my surprise, Stefan Salvatore walked in and pushed Vicki onto her bed. My eyes widened and I put a hand over my mouth and attempted to silence my breathing.

"-An animal attacked you. You blacked out. It's all you remember." Stefan quietly ordered Vicki. I strained my ears to hear what he was saying. Animal attacks, really? He was definitely a founding family member since that was the only excuse they had for vampire attacks.

"It's all I remember." Vicki repeated monotonously before she fell asleep. Stefan got away from her and gave her one last glance before Matt rushed in with a nurse.

"Nurse! I need help! It's my sister."

"She seems fine." The nurse stared at Vicki's sleeping form and glanced at Matt confused.

"No, wait. She was-"

"Matt, did you find someone." I asked with concern dripping from my speech as I walked back into the room. Matt looked at me and then the nurse.

"Ava." He huffed. "Vicki, what happened?"

Scrunching up my eyebrows, I bit my lip and glanced at Vicki. A lie being formed in my mind. For the best mental health of everyone, I decided to lie and protect Stefan. His compulsion technically just saved the council a lot of time and effort. Mainly it saved my family from all the effort of hiding another vampire attack.

"Vicki..." I breathed out. "She got tired from her breakdown and almost fainted on the floor so I lay her on the bed before I followed to get you." I finished, looking at the nurse and Matt.

Nurse Haynes nodded in understanding and patted Matt's shoulder before leaving. Matt looked frustrated and looked around. He paused, distracted. His eyes became focused on something.

"Ava-" He started being broken off by the sound of my phone. I looked down at my phone. It was a message from Bonnie asking me to come and join her, Caroline and Elena at the Grill.

"Sorry, I have to run." I said quickly as I gathered my things from Vicki's chair. When I looked up, Matt was gone. He had just left without bidding me good bye. It didn't bother me that he left like that, what bothered me was the idea of him discovering Stefan here. Hopefully, Stefan's vampiric abilities would be able to help him get out of that mess. At this thought, I was kind of glad that I had still not given Matt, the vervain I had brought over but I knew it was something that I would have to give him in the future.

* * *

"-the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity." I heard Bonnie say as I walked up to the trio.

"So if it's harbinger of doom and gloom, remind me why this town is celebrating it like it's the New Year's Eve or something." I said.

"Well, the 'doom and gloom' is only what my Grams believes. Y'know being the professor of paranormal stuff at Whitmore, she's really obsessed with this kind of stuff. Even believes we are witches." _Witches._ Great, just one more thing I would have to deal with in the future along with vampires. I said nothing this time and just nodded, keeping my face clear of my thoughts.

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens. So then what?" Caroline retorted, leaning forward in Bonnie's reaction. "Ava, you're late." She added as I took a seat at the table.

"So then nothing." Elena replied back, nodding at me in greeting.

"You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feely of any kind?"

"Nope. We didn't go there."

"Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Ok? You are supposed to share the smut."

"Not everyone wants graphic details, Care." I cut in.

"I do." She retorted.

"We just talked for hours." Elena dreamily said.

"See, that seems like a nice thing to do instead of sex. More romantic too. Get to know him before you do him. For all you know he could be a psychotic killer." Which Stefan may have been. "You don't want to sleep with a killer do you?" I added

"That sounds kinda hot." Bonnie replied mindlessly, I looked at her mildly freaked out by her.

"OK, Elena, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!" Caroline complained.

"Profound." Elena stated.

"Okay, Emily Brontë." I smirked. "Also, an emotional relationship is better than a physical one. Sex is great but what's point of it, if you can't connect to someone on a emotional level. That sounds more of a one-night stand." I paused and looked at Elena. "So don't be pressured by Care, here. Do things your own way."

"You actually have a point, Ava." Bonnie said.

"What do you mean 'actually', Bonbon?" I pouted. Bonnie shrugged.

Suddenly Elena got up, looking determined. "Where are you going?" Bonnie asked.

"Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying what I was going to do." Elena started walking away.

I stopped drinking and looked at Elena with an eyebrow raised. "Wait." I stopped her before she could fade out in the distance. "I'll come with you." Elena and Caroline, both looked at me in confusion. I know I had been preaching against this but I wanted to make sure Elena was safe. I didn't want to let Elena walk into a vampire's house all on her own, that would be like letting a sheep into a lion's den. "Y'know to make sure you don't back out and to also distract his uncle Zach if he's there, while you two get it on." I added as an afterthought. It was a terrible excuse but they all bought it. Elena nodded and let me come along.

* * *

Elena and I drove to Salvatore Boarding House as I encouraged her to do what she wanted to do while also checking on her and her family. She seemed to be better from the last time I talked to her about her parents. I guess Stefan was a better influence of Elena than I had previously thought. "Enough about me. We never really talk about you." Elena suddenly asked.

I laughed. "What else do you want to know about me?"

"Like your childhood crush of Matt or OR why Caroline is nicer to you than everyone in town."

"Well, the crush died after I discovered the boys outside of Mystic Falls and no offense to Matty but the 'small town high school football star with a heart of gold' is apparently not my type. Totally nothing to do with your former relationship with him." I said, looking outside the car. "As for Caroline, she's a nice person, she just has no filter."

"Neither do you." Elena chimed.

"Yep. That's why me and her get along so well." Elena and I laughed as we neared the Salvatore Boarding House.

Elena killed the engine and got out of the car, beckoning me to follow her. A cold chill passed through me as I walked towards the house. I wasn't taken by surprise this time. This was Stefan's house. And he was so far the only vampire. I hope. Something told me that my hope was in vain and that there was another and maybe I would get lucky or unlucky and that vampire would be in this house as well. I brushed off those thoughts and quietly followed Elena to the door.

"Imagine, if he's not home. This would be a waste." I joked.

Elena glared at me slightly as she knocked on the door. No answer. She looked at me. I shrugged, moving towards the door and shoving it, not expecting it to open. I looked on in surprise as I was pushed into the house. "Ava!" Elena hissed. She followed me in panic. The door was open. Who leaves their house doors open? Is that a vampire thing or a Salvatore thing.

"Stefan? Stefan?" Elena called timidly.

A crow flew into the house. I used my arms to shield my face and ducked, moving away from the foyer, Elena mimicking me. A crow? Did the Salvatore's have a pet or something. When I and Elena turned, there was a stranger standing in the middle of the foyer. His piercing electric blue eyes met my caramel ones as he stared at me confused like he hadn't been expecting me before moving his gaze to Elena and smirking. His presence made my blood run cold. _Vampire_. Another one. Without thinking, I grabbed onto Elena's arm. Elena looked at me confused but said nothing.

"Who are you?" I asked slightly hostile.

"Is that how you greet someone after you barge into their house." He retorted with a cocky grin. "Without permission, might I add." I already didn't like him.

"The door was literally open. We didn't-"

"We...We're sorry for barging in. The door was...open." Elena apologized on behalf of us.

"You must be Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother." He introduced himself still smirking. I hated that smirk and I had only met him. "And who might you be?" He asked me.

"Ava." I simply said, not bothering to give him my last name. Unlike Stefan, the chills with Damon were worse.

"Ava?" He repeated curiously staring at me in wonder.

I said nothing and looked away from his gaze, disinterested. Elena looked back and forth between me and Damon. She then bravely stepped forward, bringing me with her. "He didn't tell us he had a brother."

"Well, Stefan's not one to brag."

"Maybe because you're a weirdo. Like who brags about the weird one in the family." I muttered under my breath. Damon glanced at me, slightly smirking as he turned to look at Elena. He definitely heard me.

"Please, come. I'm sure Stefan will be along any second."

"Wow. This is your living room?" Elena exclaimed as she and I followed Damon into the Salvatore's living room.

"Living room, parlor, Sotheby's auction. It's a little kitschy for my taste. I see why my brother's so smitten. It's about time. For a while there, I never thought he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him." Oh no. I knew exactly what he was doing here. He was trying to make it seem like Elena was the rebound which she was not. Not with the way Stefan stared at her like she was his stars and moon.

"The last one?" Elena asked nervously

"Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend? Oh, you two haven't had the awkward exes conversation yet."

"Nope."

"Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now. Or maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end."

"Elena and Stefan barely started dating and you're already predicting the end of their relationship. It's not my place to say this but that's kind of a dick move." I retorted without even thinking. Elena stared at me in shock. I really had no filter sometimes. I had just called a vampire a dick. I prayed that he would continue to just be dick and not try to eat me.

"All relationships will come to an end eventually." Damon replied nonchalantly, running he's finger through his hair.

"Not all. Some last for a lifetime or even more." I said, stepping forward to look Damon in the eyes. "But if you keep that attitude, you're never gonna be happy." I added before turning around to look at Elena who was silent but looked deep in thought. I frowned. Damon's words had already affected Elena.

"You can't deny I'm right. I'm just looking out for my brother."

"You say it like every relationship is doomed to end." Elena suddenly spoke out.

"I'm a fatalist. Hello, Stefan." Damon stated, looking at Elena, almost remembering she had been in the room during our debate. He also greeted Stefan before he came in. Suddenly, I pitied Stefan. It must be hard to have douche for a brother.

"Elena...and Ava." He greeted, looking as if he had not slept for a while. He was probably tired of Damon if I had to guess. "I didn't know you guys were coming over." He added.

"Surprise!" I randomly blurted to ease the tension. Elena looked mortified while Damon looked amused. Stefan, thankfully seemed to appreciate my self-humiliation and cracked a smile.

"I know. I should have called, I just…" Elena trailed off, looking at me for support.

"She wanted to see you." I finished off for her

"Oh, don't be silly. You're welcome any time, even you, Ava." Damon also decided to jump in. I really wanted to punch him, maybe put some vervain in his drink or something. "Aren't they, Stefan? You know, I should break out the family photo albums or some home movies. But...I have to warn you. He wasn't always such a looker."

"And you were?" I joked.

"Well, what do you think?" He winked at me. Winked. I wanted to get out of this house right now but I stayed for Elena. I was too nice of a friend. My kindness would be the death of me, I just knew it.

Stefan glanced back and forth between me, who was glaring holes into Damon's head and Damon, who was smirking flirtatiously at me."Thank you for stopping by, Elena and Ava. It was nice to see you both." Stefan attempted to get us to leave to save us from his brother. Stefan was a saint and I regretted ever judging him too harshly in the past. I swear the minute I get out of here, I will be nicer to him.

"It was nice seeing you too. Nice house by the way. We'll see you later." I quickly spoke while ignoring the looks Damon was giving me and Elena, wanting to get the hell out of that suffocating house and Stefan's creepy brother.

"Yeah, we should probably go. It was nice to meet you, Damon." Elena said, actually acknowledging the demon.

"Great meeting you, too, Elena." He said slowly, turning to look at me. I regretted volunteering to come here. "It was lovely to meet you too, Ava."

"The feeling is mutual." I spat out politely as I turned to walk out the door. Stefan blocked Elena's way and looked at Damon in anger.

"Stefan...Stefan?" Elena called out, trying to get his attention.

I turned around a little to see Damon look unaffected by his stare. Those two definitely did not like each other. The differing personalities may not have been the only thing that caused the mutual dislike. I sensed that Damon was probably one behind the attacks. It was just a guess but it would make sense why Stefan would go out of his way to erase Vicki's memory. Shoving those thoughts aside, I stared at Stefan from the doorway, standing in the daylight away from the darkness of the Salvatore house, so close to leaving. I breathed out and rolled my eyes. "Hey, Stefan. You're in Elena's way."

Instantly as if snapping out of a spell, Stefan moved out of Elena's way. Elena walked towards me, giving me a look before we both walked out of the Salvatore House. I could feel the Salvatore brothers staring at us as we both left. I glanced back at the house, knowing that this would not be my last visit.

* * *

The town square was bustling with activity as people gathered in anticipation of the comet tonight, last seen 145 years ago. I could feel the excitement and curiosity of everyone around me. It was almost infectious. The buzzing excitement almost helped me forget the storm that was brewing underneath the surface. It was still day

I stood here just taking pictures with the school's camera for the yearbook. I decided in the end to join the yearbook committee and the photography club. I had plans to also join the student council and the debate club. I need these extra-curricular activities for my University application. Bonnie and Elena were also at the town square handing out the programs for the comet. Thankfully, I didn't have to help them because they volunteered before I came back whereas I didn't, something I had no regrets in not doing.

"Tonight's the night of the comet, would you like a program?" Bonnie asked in a polite smile to a passerby. "Want a program, Ava?"

"Thanks, Elena already gave me one."

Bonnie pouted and turned to Elena and asked jokingly "Would you like a program?" She then asked blankly. "He didn't call, huh?"

"Or text. But I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We've never gotten to the

texting part." Elena complained.

"That's an important milestone in any relationship."

"Isn't it?"

"Stefan?" I asked curious. Elena nodded. "Maybe he's still reeling from being embarrassed by his brother."

"That makes sense." Bonnie nodded in understanding.

"I mean I can speak from experience but older brothers are the worst when it comes to relationships. They're like the ultimate cockblock."

Elena and Bonnie laughed at my remarks. "I'm being serious, you guys." I pouted.

"The timing is wrong, anyway." Elena suddenly replied.

"When is it ever right?" Bonnie questioned.

I turned to look at Elena and grabbed her right arm with my free hand. "You have to make time..." I trailed off to glance at Caroline who had walked off elsewhere. "If you don't, you won't ever be happy." I breathed out.

"I'm not ready, you guys." Elena confessed

"Who is?" Bonnie questioned.

"We're all just getting by. Somehow." I said, picking up the school camera to take pictures of my two friends.

"At least I put myself out there." Elena tried defending herself, smiling at the camera.

"Is that what you're calling it?" Bonnie asked skeptically.

"What do you mean?"

"All we're hearing are reasons why you can't."

"And reason why you won't." I added.

Glancing back at Caroline who had her gaze focused on something or someone. I looked past Caroline, dreading to discover the object of curiosity. _Damon._ He stood in the town square among other people staring right at Elena. My eyes met his and he smirked. I breathed out a breath I didn't know I had been holding in as I narrowed my eyes at him. He looked amused. I turn away to focus on my task. When I look back I see my blonde best friend closer to where he had been and him gone like he was never there. I really hoped that Caroline did not get involved with him but I knew my hopes and prayers were useless.

* * *

The night had set in as more and more people gathered to watch the once in a lifetime phenomena that was the comet. The school camera that I had borrowed for both the photography club and the yearbook committee hung around my neck on it's maroon strap. The official color of Mystic Falls High. It was an old camera and I was only borrowing it until my own camera was shipped in from my parents' house. Until then, I was stuck using this

I walked around with a lit candle, lighting the candles of other people as I walked past the town folks. Occasionally, I would put down my candle to take pictures of some of the comet observers and some of my friends looking happy.

"You look busy." Matt's voice stopped me in my tracks.

I turned around, being careful with the lit candle. "Matt, hey."

"Ava." He greeted, holding his own candle. I noticed it and lit it with a smile.

"Thanks. I feel like I've only been thanking you since you came back."

"Well, I could get used to that." I laughed.

"I mean it though. I appreciate everything you...and your Uncle have done for me and Vick. I never thanked you for stopping Vick's bleeding in the woods. I also never thanked you for the food you brought over at the hospital for me. You did so much for me and my sister. I don't know if I can ever re-"

"-Matt, you're giving me too much credit. Don't you even for a second think about repaying me. I'm doing this because I care and because if I had been a little faster, Vicki might not have been attacked-"

"-Don't blame yourself. You saved her life."

"I won't blame myself if you stop thanking me." I pouted trying to guilt him into agreeing with me.

"Fine, I give in. You win."

"Also, for the record. Elena and Jeremy also helped save Vicki, they deserve credit too." I added with a warm smile before glancing over shoulders, seeing Elena, Caroline and Bonnie walk over.

I stood by and watched Matt light Elena's candle as they talked. It was awkward to say the least. I looked over and saw Stefan, who had actually showed up. I was thinking that he would have stayed at home after the whole incident with Damon but he showed up. He must have really wanted to see Elena. Young love. They were adorable.

"Stefan, nice to you here." I greeted Stefan with a smile as I walked towards him with my candle.

"Hello to you too, Ava."

"I'd light your candle but I think certain someone is more suitable instead. So here's a program instead."

He shook his head at my teasings before sobering and looking apologetic. "Listen, I wanted to apologize-"

"-about your brother? Don't be. We all have that one in our family whose a complete wreck." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Besides his choices are not yours so why are you apologizing for someone that you have zero control over."

Before Stefan could reply, Elena had appeared. I smiled in her direction and walked over to her, bringing Stefan with me. "I'll leave you in her care, then." I whispered with a smile before leaving. Elena deserved to be happy and now that I was sure that Stefan was not the one behind the attacks, I was okay to let her to date Stefan. I watched happily as Elena lit Stefan's candle without even noticing it was him. How romantic. I swooned over them.

* * *

Mystic Falls Grill was becoming more and more packed as the night passed. I stood sandwiched between Caroline and Matt facing Elena, Tyler and Bonnie. We were all just catching up when Jeremy stormed up to Tyler. He looked pissed to say the least. Bonnie and I shared a look and quietly watched on as Jeremy accused Tyler of being a stalker and pill pusher. It was shocking to say the least.

"She's never gonna go for you." Tyler spat out as Elena tried to interrogate Jeremy on the side.

Jeremy smirked. "She already did. Over and over and over again."

I choked on my lemonade at Jeremy's words, nearly spitting out my drink. I wanted to throw up. The image of Elena's baby brother with Matt's older sister was one that I did not want in my head. Bonnie gave me a look of concern as I brushed it off.

"You slept with Vicki? Oh my god." I blurted out.

"Yeah right." Tyler stated in disbelief.

"You slept with Vicki Donovan? I mean, Vicki Donovan slept with you?" Caroline jumped in.

"There's no way."

"And I didn't even have to force her into it." Jeremy dropped a bomb

"What the hell is he talking about, Ty?" Matt asked, clearly pissed as hell.

"What the fuck did you do, Ty?"

"Nothing, man, just ignore him, he's a punk." Tyler tried to calm Matt down before turning to me. "Ava, you know me, I would never do that." I scoffed.

"Sooo lemme get this Jeremy is lying then?" Jeremy sent me a grateful look, happy that someone was at least on his side. Really, I was more concerned about Vicki being sexually assaulted than getting in between these two's dick measuring contests.

Mat slammed his hands on the table and looked at us all "You know what, how about all of you shut up and help me find my sister?"

"We'll check the back." Bonnie instantly replied, getting up.

Matt nodded gratefully. "I'll check the square."

"I'll come with you." Jeremy offered before being shot down by Elena who dragged him with her as they argued about his drug dealings and habits.

I breathed out. "Matt, I'll come with you." Matt smiled sadly, knowing that he owed me more and more. I know he hated owing people.

"Tha-" He stopped before thanking me, remembering what I had said earlier that night. "Right. Lead the way."

* * *

Bright and hot. Those were the two words I would use if someone asked me to describe the square right now. It was also packed. More packed than I had ever seen in my life. I knew it going to be impossible to find Vicki now but I still stuck by Matt.

"Do you see her?" I asked, trying to look at everyone in the crowds. It was hard for someone my height to look at everyone. I was tiny while everyone towered over me.

Matt looked distracted. "No. But I see someone else." He replied before stalking towards someone.

_Stefan._

This was not going to be good. Elena's ex and her current boyfriend were going head to head. I rushed behind Matt, dodging the people as they walked by me. I could see them greet each other and watched them talk about something. I strained my ears to hear their conversations but the chatter from the crowd drowned out their voices. I barely caught what they were saying. By the time I reached them, Stefan had been about to leave.

I huffed in annoyance, standing next to Matt. Matt glanced at me apologetically before turning back to Stefan and glaring at him.

"-What were you doing there?" Matt asked. I looked confused at Matt. "He was at the hospital." Matt stated simply. I knew that already but I didn't know Matt knew. My eyes widened as I pretended to be surprised.

Stefan stared at me, studying my expression before glancing back at Matt."Visiting."

"Visiting? You know, Elena and I, we've known each other for a long time. We might not be together right now, but I look out for her. And I'll always look out for her." Matt questioned and then went on a rant about Elena. I was slightly relieved that he didn't go into detail about his reason for visiting the hospital.

Stefan said nothing while Matt continued to glare at him. He looked distracted and had a far away look on his face. I had a feeling that he was using his vampire abilities. I knew he was. He glanced back at me and Matt before turning around and leaving in a hurry.

"Well, that was useless." I blurted out.

"Sorry Ava, I thought he would know where Vicki was cause he was at the hospital for some reason. I still don't know what he was doing there." He ranted, walking further into the town square. "I just know that he wasn't there to visit. Do you not remember how she freaked out at the hospital and the moment we both leave, he comes in and she's fine." He continued.

My relief at his lack of attention to detail disappeared as a silent panic took hold of me. I stopped, catching Matt's attention. He turned around to look at me.

"Matt." I grabbed his hands in mine. "Look I get you're worried. But don't you think you're overthinking this." I continued staring into his sea-blue eyes. He had really pretty eyes. "Stefan was just visiting and Vicki got tired. Don't overthink this."

Matt's eyes glazed. I could have sworn I saw a gold sheen in his eyes before the sea-blue came back. "I won't overthink this." He replied monotonically, nodding.

I smiled in response and let go of his hands and looked away. As if a spell had broken, Matt looked at me in confusion. "Vick's not here. We should head back." He breathed out and grabbed my left hand and led me back to the Grill.

"You know, you don't have to hold my hands. Right?"

"I know. But if I didn't you'd get lost. And I don't want to go on a hunt for you as well." Matt replied with a smile. I smiled back, clutching the school camera still around my neck with my free hand.

* * *

A weird feeling took over me. One that I never felt before. It felt like thousands of tiny ants crawling on my body. This felt different from the chills I'd get from being around vampires. I froze outside the Grill. Matt stood in the doorway looking at me, confused. I smiled reassuringly. "You should go ahead. I just remembered, I have to take more pics for the yearbook committee. I'll meet you inside."

Matt nodded in understanding and looked at me in pity. Honestly, he and Elena were a lot alike, both thought, the yearbook committee was so much work but it really wasn't. I watched, standing frozen, as he walked inside. I stared at the roof of the Grill, feeling compelled for some reason to go up there.

Following the need to go to the roof, I walked into the Grill. I weaved through the crowds to reach the door to the roof. As I was about to open it, a waiter stopped me.

"You can't go up there." He commanded.

I huffed and rolled my eyes. "Look, I really need to go up there, it's important."

"Yeah, that's what they all say."

The feeling got worse, the closer I stood to the door. "Please, I need to go up there." He didn't relent.

"Let me go up there." I begged again, looking down, feeling desperate.

"You can go up there." The waiter replied monotonically, moving away from the door and going back to work.

I stared at the man's retreating back in confusion. How did he change his mind so quickly. Thinking nothing of it, I gave a quick glance around my surroundings to see if anyone was watching me. To my relief, half the Grill was either too drunk or too busy in conversations to notice me sneaking off to the roof.

"Please, Damon. Please don't do this." Stefan was begging to his brother.

"If you couldn't fix it before, I don't know what you can do now." Damon replied back sardonically.

I watched in silent horror from my hiding place as Damon ripped off Vicki's bandage and threw her at Stefan. This was a band idea. I should not have followed that feeling. I should have followed Matt. If I was discovered I would be dead. Deader than dead.

"Ugh! Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks is nothing compared to the power that you could have, that you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that." Damon complained as Vicki screamed in protest. "You have two choices. You can feed and make her forget. Or you can let her run, screaming "vampire" through the town square."

"That's what this is about? You want to expose me?"

"No! I want you to remember who you are!"

"Why? So what, so I'll feed? So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again? You know what, let her go. Let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of you." Stefan spat out.

I was right. The Salvatore brothers did not have a good relationship and Stefan was a drama queen. He really thought the Council would chain him up. I wanted to laugh at that thought. Stake him? Yes. Chaining him up? Too much effort. I focused my gaze back to the Salvatore brothers and Vicki, while slowly getting out my family dagger in case they did something to Vicki.

"Huh. Huh. Wow. Come here, sweetheart." Damon called out to Vicki who continued to fight against his advances. "It's OK." I watched him whisper something to Vicki's ear.

Vicki's face morphed into one of confusion and she calmed down. She looked...fine. She wasn't screaming or fighting anymore, she looked more confused than concerned or scared. I glanced at Damon who looked at my hiding spot.

I ducked and made myself small, gripping my dagger tighter. I slowly retreated, knowing Vicki was going to be fine. I made my way back down the stairs. I was greeted by the same waiter who had tried to stop me from going up.

"Hey, what were you doing up there?" He interrogated me, looking around to check if I had any accomplices.

I looked up at him, confused. He had literally been the one to allow me to go upstairs and now he couldn't even remember me.

Strange.

I shook my head and stared at him, ignoring his question. I gripped his arm. "Get me a first aid kit." I commanded him. He said nothing and nodded.

I observed as he walked towards the bar and asked the bartender to give him the first aid kit. Thankfully he didn't seem to mention me. The bartender handed him the kit and went back to work. The waiter came back and looked at me with glazed eyes and handed me the kit. He said nothing and walked away. I tilted my head at his actions. What the hell just happened?

I walked over to Matt who had found Vicki after she had made her way down to the Grill. "Here." I said, placing the kit in front of Matt who was busy fussing over Vicki ripping her bandage.

Vicki flashed me a grateful smile as Matt cracked open the kit and took out some bandages. Stefan observed me silently from the side. I could see him carefully studying me. I prayed that he didn't suspect me of anything. The last thing I wanted was to be found out by a vampire that I was eavesdropping on his conversation. Stefan may have been the vegetarian version of vampire but his brother was.

Stefan looked at me, ready to ask me something before Matt him to it. "You always know what I need, Ava."

"I guess I do. Maybe I'm psychic like Bonnie." I joked. Vicki snorted while Matt rolled his eyes amused.

Matt then turned to Stefan. "She said you found her around."

"Yeah."

"So, um, thanks." Matt thanked Stefan shyly.

I looked over Vicki's wounds to see Matt had done a good job handling it. I glanced across the Grill to see Bonnie and Caroline seated at another table. I just realized that throughout the night, I was so busy with Matt and Vicki that I hadn't even spoken to Caroline. I suddenly felt bad.

"Hey, I think you got this. I'm gonna go over to Bonnie and Care. Shout if you need me."

"You've done more than enough for me. So don't worry about it."

I nodded, gathering my stuff. "Here, my contacts. Text me about Vicki's condition and if you wanna talk in general." I quickly spoke, writing out my number on a piece of paper napkin and handing it to him. I saw Vicki from the corner of my eyes give him a teasing look which Matt thankfully ignored.

I walked over to Bonnie and Caroline's table in a hurry to almost escape Stefan. "That is probably the last time I will be nice to anyone." I said before taking a seat next to Caroline.

"You say that now..." Bonnie replied with a grin.

"I know. I know."

"Ugh, it's just so much drama. Ever notice how the druggies are the biggest attention whores?" Caroline suddenly complained.

"Yeah." Bonnie agreed mindlessly.

"I thought you loved drama." I asked innocently.

Caroline made a face before replying. "I do when it's interesting or worth it. Like Je-"

"Excuse me, Hi." Stefan interrupted Caroline, awkwardly greeting us.

Great, I came here to avoid him, only for him to follow me here. I kept my face neutral and watched him from the corner of my eyes. After the whole roof top incident, I had mixed feelings about him.

"Hi." Bonnie was the only one who bothered to greet him. Caroline was clearly still bitter of his rejection.

"Um, have you guys seen Elena?"

"I think she went home. I'm gonna give you Elena's cell number and her email. She is big on texting, and you can tell her..."I said so"." I watched quietly from my seat as Bonnie gave Stefan Elena's number.

"Thank you."

Bonnie froze as her hand made contact with Stefan's. Her eyes became unfocused and glazed over. A far away look took over her face before she quickly retreated her hand. It was like watching her touch something dangerous and instinctively took her hand back.

"You OK?"

There was no reply. I got concerned. I moved over to sit next Bonnie and grabbed her arm. No response. I lightly shook her.

"Bonnie. You good?"

"What happened to you? That's so rude. I'm sorry. Excuse me." Bonnie blinked and hurriedly apologized.

"Yeah, she kind of wigs out. It's like her thing." Caroline commented.

"Caroline." I chided her.

"What? I'm right."

* * *

Leaving Caroline and Bonnie, I walked outside to the town square to watch the comet. I felt a presence next to me. I turned my head slightly to look at the person next to me. A smile took over my face when I realized it was just Matt. Despite the fact I only approached to hide the truth about the supernatural, I did appreciate his presence. Maybe it was my little childhood crush on him but his presence was comforting.

"I thought you would've gone home." Matt silently asked.

"I thought you'd be inside tending to Vicki."

"She went back to work."

I raised my eyebrows, questioning him. "Don't ask." Matt breathed out.

I nodded in understanding and turned back to stare at the night sky. I felt Matt staring at me.

"Is there something on my face?" I asked, turning back to look at him.

"I can't look at my childhood friend who returned after what? Six years and something months." He teased me.

I laughed a little. "I have been in town for almost FOUR months." I said, tilting my head before looking back in front of me at the sky.

Matt said nothing but just grinned widely and followed my actions. I felt a warm hand engulf my own. My eyes widened but I said nothing. Simply staring ahead at the sky.

I watched in wonder as the comet finally passed over the sky leaving a trail of light in the darkened sky. Matt squeezed my hands as the comet passed. I bit my lips to stop myself from saying something stupid and ruining everything. Instead with a free hand I picked up the camera and took some pictures of the comet. It was truly beautiful. Making me question, how can something so beautiful be a sign of doom.


	4. American Sadness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first game of the season in Mystic Falls High but for someone, it may be their last as Ava's dreams blur with reality and take dark and murderous turn. It doesn't help that the Salvatore brothers keeps appearing in them.

Chapter 3: American Sadness

* * *

_Gasp._

_I opened my eyes as I felt the cool September breeze against my thin pajamas. The first thing I noticed was the time of day. It was night. I felt the hard and cold gravel underneath me, biting into me where I stood._

_Looking around, I noticed I was at a football pitch well behind it to be exact. There was little light coming from the pitch that helped me see my surroundings as my eyes slowly adjusted to the surroundings._

_I looked around clearly now that my eyes adjusted and I realized. I was not alone. The light gave away to two male shadows or what looked male in a distance standing facing each other hostile. From a distance it seemed to be a fierce argument._

_Curious, I slowly walked towards them. As I got closer I could hear them. Their voices were a little distorted but enough for me to understand. I was trying to be cautious when I felt myself step on a twig._

_Snap._

_I paused. Looking up to make sure they hadn't seen me. They hadn't. I looked back down at the twig to see it was intact. I had imagined it breaking. I stepped over it again. To my surprise, my feet went right through it. Strange._

_Taking in a deep breath, I bravely stepped towards the men. I walked in between them and waved my hands in front of their blurry faces. No response. I breathed out in relief and focused my attention on their conversation._

_"-Who's pretending?" The one facing towards me said._

_"Then kill me."_

_"Well, I'm...I'm tempted"_

_"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Katherine is dead. And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity."_

_145 years? Katherine? Questions filled my mind as I wondered what was going one. I knew one thing for certain. They were definitely vampires. And I could only think of two people that fit their description._

_"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" I heard another voice interrupt. There was only one Salvatore I could think off from the top of my head and one game that was coming up. But Stefan wasn't part of the school football team. At least I knew he wasn't. I tilted my head confused, looking at the new comer._

_"If that's my humanity...then what's this?" Damon or who I thought was Damon Salvatore spat out venomously as he disappeared in a blur._

_Before I could blink I watched reappear behind the stranger, tearing into his neck. I couldn't see much in the haze that clouded my eyes, but I remember seeing his brilliant blue eyes shift to a deadly red as he tore the stranger's neck apart. His arteries and vocal cord were ripped open for everyone to see. Blood was everywhere, it was the only thing that stood out to me in the black and white landscape._

_I heard Stefan shout in protest, trying to save the stranger. And I watched in horror as Damon finally threw the now cold and dead body onto the pavement._

_"Anyone, anytime, any place." He stated with a sinister but proud grin, his face painted in crimson, caked with fresh blood._

I woke up in cold sweat, clutching my throat in fear. Dried tears coated my face. Feeling the warmth of my soft duvet, I was comforted. I was home, safe. The early days of daylight peeked through the window through the gap in the curtain. It was morning not night. I breathed out in relief. My throat felt as if it was on fire. I quickly got up, throwing my covers off me and turned to my nightstand to pour myself some water. The pitcher was empty.

Frustrated. I ran downstairs and poured myself a glass of water, grabbing the glass from the drying rack next to the sink. I watched in desperation as water filled the glass. Turning off the tap, I brought the cold drink to my parched lips. I downed it in one go.

"Slow down. Are you trying to choke on water or something?"

I jumped up a little as my Uncle Nate stared at me worriedly from the kitchen island. "When did you get back?" I asked, washing the glass and drying it before putting it back on the drying rack next to the sink. I didn't even notice that he was standing there watching me.

"Two hours ago." He replied, picking at his waffles. "I made breakfast. If that helps."

"Waffles?" I asked, staring at the plate of breakfast in front of him. He nodded. Uncle Nate said nothing for a while just staring down at his plate in silent contemplation.

I said nothing as well. Instead I made my way back to my room to get ready for school. Quickly, I got changed and put on some light makeup to hide my dark circles which had only started to form. I paused.

With the concealer in my hand, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. It had been a while since I had really looked at myself. My mid-length black hair had grown past my shoulders. I ran my hands through it and brought it close to my face. The rays of sunlight from the bathroom window made my hair appear a dark reddish type of color in my hand. I let my hair fall down, gently. I need to cut it again soon.

I picked up the concealer again and carefully but gently dabbed some on the light dark circles which had started to form. I then carefully brushed my hair and put it in a neat ponytail. I carefully moved the stray strands away from my heart shaped face and picked some lip gloss from my makeup bag and carefully applied it to my naturally pink lips.

Giving myself a quick look over, I nodded at my reflection. _Blood._ There was blood on my neck. Quickly, I brought my hand to my neck and went over it. When I blinked it was gone. There was nothing there. My neck was still the same light caramel as the rest of my body, no traces of crimson. I looked back at the mirror to see there was nothing there in the mirror as well. The smooth polished surface shined brightly in the sun. I glanced over at my phone.

_7:25 AM_

I turned my phone off and got out of the bathroom. Grabbing my red school bag, I made my way back downstairs and took the plate of waffles. Sitting on the kitchen island seats, I quickly stuffed my face with breakfast. The image of the corpse from my nightmare haunted me as I sat there. _Blood_. I dropped my fork on the counter in shock. There was blood on my breakfast. The waffles had been replaced with a bleeding heart. I watched in horror as it continued to beat still after it was separated from the body. I blinked and there was nothing. The waffles were back, it was topped with whipped cream and strawberries. But My appetite was gone.

"You okay?" Uncle Nate reappeared with a coffee mug in his hands and his laptop underneath his arms. He looked at me in concern while he sat down opposite me, placing his laptop on the kitchen island counter and his coffee on it's left side.

I said nothing, just looked at him in shock and horror. "Blood..." I trailed off.

"Blood?"

"There was blood on the plate. And a heart. A live beating heart."

"I can't be that bad at cooking-" He stopped when he noticed I wasn't joking. "You had one of your nightmares again." He said, taking a sip of his hot drink. I numbly nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" He offered, placing the mug on the counter. He leaned towards me, worried.

I took a deep breath and glanced at the clock on the kitchen clock. "I do but I'm gonna be late." I said, finally picking up the fork and shoving three big bites of the waffle and strawberries in my mouth. It was still food. Even if it for some reason reminded me of a beating bloody human heart. I still hated wasting food. A habit my mom had forced upon me when I was a child.

Uncle Nate said nothing, I could watch him thinking about something as I ate the waffles in a hurry. He got up suddenly. "I can drop you off and you can tell me on the way" He put down the coffee mug and disappeared. He reappeared with his car keys.

"Bonnie promised to drop me already." I started. Taking the plate to sink and washing it "But I can text her and cancel." I finished, drying the plate and putting it on the drying rack and taking out my phone from my embroidered denim jacket and texted Bonnie.

"Done?"

_Ping._

Bonnie had texted back and she was okay with my change of plans. "Done." I replied, putting my phone back and slinging my backpack over my shoulders, I followed him out of the house.

* * *

Uncle Nate pulled up to the school parking lot and parked in a far and desolated spot and looked at me. "So lemme get this straight, you saw the Salvatore brothers arguing and 'Damian'-"

"Damon."

"-just ripped apart a guy because he trying to prove to 'Steven'-"

"Stefan."

"-that he had no humanity?" He finished.

"Pretty much." I nodded at him.

"A little dramatic, don't you think?"

"Don't ask me, I was just looking in not being them." I replied, picking up my bag.

"That was different. Usually you're either seeing it from the person dying or doing the killing."

"Yeah, this time it was better." I said realizing that Uncle Nate had a point. "I didn't feel their pain or anything. I just watched."

Uncle Nate nodded in understanding and turned to look at me. "Do you-" He paused. "Do you think you can learn to control this? I know it's a lot to ask but if you learn how to control this, you can block this out-"

"-And sleep properly at night without being traumatized." I interrupted him.

"Exactly." He said excitedly. I smiled sadly, my family were the ones who had suffered the most from my nightmares.

A white car drove into the school parking lot, disturbing my thoughts. I unclipped my seat-belt and got out. "Bonnie and Elena are here, I'll see you at home." I said, leaving.

"Wait, actually, I'm gonna be at the Lockwood's and I might head back to college as well afterwards."

"Council meetings?" I asked. He nodded instantly. I sighed. The meetings were only going to become more frequent as the attacks went on. If Uncle Nate and I wanted to, we could stop this for once but we would only be exposing ourselves to danger, if the council failed. "Keep me updated." I stated sternly before running and tackling Bonnie into a hug from behind. I turned around to wave at Uncle Nate, only to find that his car was gone. Thinking nothing of it, I rolled my eyes. I followed Elena and Bonnie, both of whom were waiting for me.

"Ava." Elena turned to me and held my arms. "Tell Bonnie that she's overreacting."

"Overreacting?" I tilted my head and stared at Bonnie.

"It's her whole psychic witch mojo thing."

"Look, as I was telling Elena." Bonnie started defending herself. "I accidentally touched Stefan at the Grill, remember you were there-"

"-And you froze for a few seconds."

"Yeah cause I got a really bad feeling from him."

"A bad feeling?" I gulped. "From Stefan?" She was definitely a witch.

"Yeah."

I stared at the grassy ground, thinking over what Bonnie said and remembering my nightmare. I almost forgot that Stefan was a vampire but Bonnie's words and the nightmare reminded me again that he was a monster among us. I was still apprehensive about Stefan. "Maybe take it slow." I said trying to play the peacekeeper between the two.

"Really? You two. Stefan's a great guy." Elena said, clearly annoyed that I wasn't backing her up. Well, sorry for being a concerned friend and trying to be a peacekeeper.

"We're not saying he isn't." I quickly added. Bonnie nodded along in agreement and we both stared at Elena in concern.

"You just met him. And not to mention you just got out of a long-term relationship. Last thing you want is for Stefan to feel like a rebound."

"Stefan's not a rebound."

"She's not saying, he is." Bonnie jumped in.

"Look I'm just concerned."

"And like I said to Bonnie, I love you both for it. But I feel good and different and it's mostly because of Stefan that I feel like I'm not gonna fall apart." Elena confessed. I totally understood where she was coming from but I knew that Stefan wasn't gonna make her life that stable. Maybe temporarily but not forever.

I looked away and noticed the person we were discussing, making his way to us through the parking lot and onto the grassy field in front of the school. I nudged and whispered to Bonnie. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." I whispered. Bonnie looked over Elena's shoulder as Stefan came and greeted us.

"Hey, um, I gotta find Caroline. She's not answering her phone. So I'll see you guys later." Bonnie excused herself, looking at me, expecting me to follow her.

"Bonnie, wait…" Elena tried to stop her but she left, not even hearing her.

"Good morning, Stefan." I looked at both of them. "I'll see you both in history. I have to swing by the Student Council and then help Bonnie find Caroline." I said awkwardly, making excuses and following Bonnie inside.

"Ava, please…." I heard Elena say in the distance.

* * *

I leaned against my locker, next to Bonnie's, whose locker was wide open. I watched in boredom as Bonnie pretended to look for her books. She kept ranting about Stefan and Elena while organizing her locker. I kept nodding every time she said something. All the while, I kept my eye on my phone.

> _Asked Liz to have more people on duty for tomorrow's game._
> 
> _\- Nate_F_
> 
> _She didn't get suspicious?_
> 
> _A.R-_
> 
> _Nope._
> 
> _Carol keeps getting annoyed at me. I'll cya @ home_
> 
> _\- Nate_F_

I sighed and turned my phone off. Focusing my attention on my own locker. I swung it open and started getting my own books out.

_Slam._

Bonnie slammed her locker, startling me. She almost made me drop all my books, she looked at me. "Do you think I was overreacting with Elena and Stefan?"

"No. You were just concerned." I defended her.

"Really? Elena and Caroline keep thinking, I'm being over-dramatic with the whole psychic thing."

"If it was Caroline saying these things, I would be more skeptical but it's you. You don't do that." I said, closing my locker gently behind me.

"Thanks Ava. It means a lot. Speaking of Caroline-"

_Riiiiiiiiiingggg._

"Maybe she's just late. Or skipping history." I offered, walking with her to history. "Not that I blame her, Tanner's a dick." I added.

* * *

"World war II ended in...Anyone got anything? Miss Juan? 1945." Tanner barked. And I zoned out.

I literally could care less about this class anymore. The more I stayed in this room, the less I cared about history and my family pretty much thrived on the preservation of history of this town, that being the only lawyers and judges in this town. I continued to aimlessly take notes and doodle on the side.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Elena and Stefan flirt with each other. I laughed quietly. Tanner was gonna kill them. But knowing Stefan he would kill Tanner before he could even touch one hair on Elena. I glanced beside me to Matt who was carefully listening in on Stefan and Elena.

"Psst. Matt."

Matt glanced at me. "Ava?"

"Stop staring at R and J and start paying attention to Tanner or you're gonna fail this class even more."

"R and J?" Matt asked confused before realizing who I was talking about. His face hardened for a second before a grinning. "How do you know I'm failing?"

"Tanner. Keeps. Glaring. At. You. Like. You. Spat. In. His. Face."

"Rude. That's his face."

I breathed out amused, close to laughing loudly. I turned back to concentrate on Tanner, only to see him glaring this way. To my relief I was not the target. Neither was Matt but Stefan and Elena. I should've known. They got drama and English literature mixed with history.

"Miss Gilbert?" Tanner asked.

Elena looked at him sheepishly. Before she could answer. "December 7, 1941." Stefan replied without missing a beat.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert." Tanner thanked Stefan sarcastically.

"Anytime."

"Oh god." I mumbled. Matt looked at me amused. "I know where this is going." I whispered, rolling my eyes. Stefan the fossil was going to show Tanner just how old he was and I didn't care enough to be focused

I tuned back to the events going on just to see Tanner have a spat over the ending of the Korean War. This is so lame. Stefan was obviously right while Tanner had a big ego. I mean only one of them had lived through these events while the other only studied about them. I knew who my money was on..

"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53." Stefan insisted on the ending of the war.

Tanner looked annoyed and looked around the classroom. "Look it up, somebody. Quickly." He barked out the orders.

Everyone started shifting and shuffling, flipping through their textbook. _The Korean War officially ended in 1953._ I heard someone on the other side say. I looked at Tanner expecting him to say something but he said nothing. I glanced around to see that it was silent. Only the sounds, shuffling papers and flipping pages with occasional clicking sounds. I blinked confusedly.

"19-" "It was 1953." I blurted out without thinking just as someone was about to answer. "The Korean War ended in 1953 with the split of the country." I finished.

Tanner looked at me with his eyebrow raised. He glared at me as he nodded. "Thank you for the clarification, Miss Fitzroy." He stated clearly pissed to be proven wrong as he went back to teaching the class. I saw Stefan glance back at me and smiling gratefully. I didn't react because Matt was staring at me, instead I just went back to taking notes from the textbook.

* * *

I walked across the football field, while putting on the strap of my camera around my neck. My camera had thankfully arrived last night which meant I no longer had to use the one from school. I still, however, have to stay after school and take pictures of the football and cheer practice before the game. It was so annoying. I'd honestly be at home where I would be safe.

My eyes caught on to a figure sitting on the bleachers. I strained my eyes to get a good look at the person on the bleacher. _Stefan._ Of course it had to be Stefan. For some odd bizarre reasons, it always seemed that the Salvatores no matter human or vampire would be doing something angsty and dramatic. In this case brooding on the bleachers. I mean I didn't blame them, I would do that too, if I had their genes.

I rolled my eyes and snapped a picture of him before turning back to the football team. Matt smiled and waved at me. I waved back, picking up my camera and snapping a picture of him in his uniform. Snap. Snap. Snap.

"You seem to be having fun." Matt greeted me as he removed his helmet.

"Hmm." Snap. "Not as fun as you are. I almost feel bad for Tyler. He just got 'Tanner'ed'."

"Tyler? Seriously?"

"I said almost. I don't actually care." I laughed, putting my camera down. "Shouldn't you over there instead?" I said, gesturing over to the other players.

"I should, shouldn't I?" He grinned. "Well...it's your fault."

"My fault?"

"Your fault."

I scoffed. "How exactly is it MY fault."

"You're here, distracting me."

"I'm taking pictures for the yearbook committee. You getting distracted is on you." I retorted, lightly punching him.

Matt laughed. "Ow. I'm kidding, Ava, relax."

"Well. Well. Well." Tyler interrupted us, tackling Matt and me. "Ava and Matt. You two look cosy."

"Go screw yourself, Lockwood." I spat out. Tyler really had to always go and be a dick. Then ruin everything.

"Whoa, chill. I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."

"Not funny, man." Matt said, picking up the camera off the ground and handing it to me.

Tyler snatched it from his hands. "Nice camera, Ava."

"Give it back, Lockwood." "Give it back, Ty." Matt and I spoke at the same time, glancing at each other briefly in surprise.

"Cute." Snap. Tyler quickly took a picture of me and Matt. "Hey, Matt, maybe you should get over Elena and date Ava instead. I mean she did have a cr-" Snap.

I snatched the camera away from Tyler, before he could finish. "Tyler, sweetie, I know the concept of guys and girls being just friends is foreign to you but I can assure you it's real and Matt and I are a good example of it." I replied sarcastically. Snap. "Just because, you..." Snap. "don't have any..." Snap. "doesn't mean it's not real." I finished while taking pictures of the practice.

"She got you, there, Ty." Matt laughed, grateful that I didn't make it awkward.

"Whatever, you two are on some hippy bullshit." Tyler said, rolling his eyes. "Damn, Tanner's coming over, we should split."

"Then that's my cue to leave. See you guys." I waved goodbye and turned back to walk to the cheer practice area.

"Wait." Matt stopped me before I could go far. "You're coming to the game right?" Blood. I froze. The bloody image from my nightmares flashed in my head as Matt got closer concerned. "Ava?"

"Yeah. I'll be there." I said quietly, smiling reassuringly. Matt said nothing and nodded, still concerned. He gave me a fleeting look as he jogged back on to the practice area.

I sighed and almost sprinted over to the cheer practice side of the field. I silently complained about the vast length I had to walk to get here and how much I had already missed out on the practice. Maybe if Tyler took a break from being a dick, I could quickly get this done and go get some painting done as well but Tyler just had to be on his bullshit. And now I was behind my schedule.

I stopped. All the cheerleaders were sitting on the grass, some standing, some stretching and gossiping while others just looked bored. Did I miss the practice? I walked closer and tapped Bonnie, gesturing to the cheerleaders scattered in the area.

"Caroline." Bonnie simply said. I nodded in understanding. Caroline was still MIA. This was gonna be another setback for me. I silently debated on packing this up and going back inside the school and going to the art studio instead.

"I'm gonna leave in 5 if Care does not show up." I said bored after a while.

"That makes two of us. Like, it's not like her to be this late."

"Maybe she's hungover."

"Could be." Bonnie said trailing off. "Wait, did I tell you about Caroline's mystery man?"

"Mystery man? Oh my God."

"Yeahh, so she met this weirdly hot guy at the grill when she was drunk as hell." Bonnie started, sitting on the grass, taking a break from stretching.

"Y'know, what I think?"

"That, Caroline probably imagined it in her drunk state. Don't tell Caroline, I was totally thinking that."

I nodded fiercely, hanging my camera back around my neck. "Let's play the devil's advocate for a moment here?" I said. "If 'mystery man'..." I said using my hands to form air quotes. "...is real then she's probably getting it on, that's why she didn't show up today." I finished, taking a seat on the grass field, next to Bonnie.

Bonnie and I looked at each other laughing. Knowing Caroline, all bets were off the table when it came to guys. I may not have been here for almost six years but I knew her since we were kids, she had almost always been boy-crazed. Keyword, almost. Caroline did have her own ambition, her current goal was to be a reporter. And god forbid, anyone came between that.

I turned around to snap some shots of the football field as a whole while Bonnie looked down. I turned back to look at Bonnie who had glanced behind me. She squealed. "Elena actually showed up."

"No, really?" I said surprised.

Bonnie nodded, asking me to turn around. Before I could, I was tackled into a hug. "Oh, my God! You're here!" Bonnie squealed in delight as the person let go of me to give Bonnie a hug.

"Oh my god. Elena. You almost scared the shit out of me." I complained, clutching my camera. "Also, you're actually here. This is big."

"Yep. I can't be sad girl forever. The only way to get things back to the way they were are to do things that were. Oh, and you two are coming to dinner tonight."

"We are?" Bonnie and I asked at the same time, looking at each other confused.

"Mm-hmm. You, Ava, me and Stefan. You guys have to give him a chance."

"I didn't even say anything bad about him." I mumbled under my breath.

"Well, then you can be the buffer with me."

"Tonight's no good. Have you seen Caroline? I texted her like a hundred times." Bonnie attempted to back off by changing the subject.

"Don't change the subject, Bonnie Bennett! You're going to be there."

"Fine. I'll go."

"Good." Elena said happily. "Ava?" She asked.

"I don't know El. I still have a couple of paintings to finish and sort through my Grandma's stuff." I tried.

Elena looked at me, trying to give me sad puppy dog eyes. Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "If I'm suffering through this awkward dinner, you're suffering with me." Bonnie said, grabbing my arm.

"Fine, I'll suffer with you." I finally agreed to the dinner.

Pulling up my phone, I quickly texted my uncle my dinner plans. To no surprise, he agreed. I looked back at Elena, held both of her hands and looked at us expectedly. "I promise, you guys, are so not gonna suffer."

"We'll see." I grinned, picking up my camera and taking a picture of Elena. Snap.

* * *

"Seriously, where is Caroline?" Bonnie complained as she and Elena stretched.

An hour. It had exactly been an hour since I had come to cheer practice and to my surprise Caroline was still not here. I was annoyed as hell. I could have been inside instead of being in the September sun.

"I don't know. It's not like her." Elena replied confused.

"I'll try her again."

"Well, if she doesn't show up. I'm leaving." I said gathering my things.

"Wait. Ava." Bonnie attempted to get me to stay when a silver convertible pulled up next to us.

Elena, Bonnie and I turned to stare at the silver car. Elena looked at me. A look of annoyance crossed both of our faces. I glared holes into the head of the handsome but deadly driver. We watched in shock as Caroline kissed the driver and got out.

"Oh, my God. That must be the mystery guy from the grill."

"That's not a mystery guy." Elena said, shocked.

"That's Damon Salvatore." I finished with a grimace. Elena and I glanced at each other in disgust.

"Salvatore, as in Stefan?!" Bonnie asked, shocked.

"Unfortunately." I said picking up my camera and following Caroline. "Elena, you coming?" I asked her, breaking her out of Damon's spell.

"I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind. Sorry I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy. All right, let's start with the double pike herkey hurdler, what do you say? Ava, thanks for coming. Make sure to get my good angle. And 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Elena, sweetie, why don't you just observe today? Ok? Keep going! Ok. Do it again from the top. And 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8." Caroline said not letting us say a single thing.

Suppressing the overwhelming chill, I threw a glare at Damon who had only smirked at me and tilted his head. I watched in annoyance as he drove out. We both kept eye contact as he drove. I don't know his reasoning but mine was to make sure he actually left. After he left I glanced at the cheer practice.

_Snap. Snap. Snap._

The only thing that I noticed that truly stood had to be Caroline's neck. It was odd. She wore a short red checkered scarf, tied securely and tightly around her neck. It was not that cold and not to mention, it didn't even go with her outfit. I breathed out. He really did it. He was feeding from her.

* * *

Night had set and it was time for the dinner at the Gilbert House. I sat around the kitchen island at the Gilbert kitchen with Bonnie opposite me. We both watched as Elena quickly unpacked food from the Grill onto nice and presentable bowls and plates.

Bonnie took this time to discuss more psychic happenings that were going on. I almost wanted to share with her my own stories but I held back. Mine were clearly more precise and different than hers. If I had shared mine, it would only lead to more questions than answers. Not to mention, it would expose them to the supernatural life, one that their parents had fought hard for them to be kept away from.

"-about this? Today I'm obsessed with numbers. 3 numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14, and 22. How weird is that?"

"Maybe we should play the lottery." Elena said sarcastically.

"Have you talked to your Grams?" I asked ignoring Elena, knowing Sheila Bennett would probably have answers for this. Grandma Janine used to say that when you were in doubt, Sheila Bennett was the go-person for supernatural stuff, being an Occult professor and a witch certainly helped her.

"She's just gonna say it's because I'm a witch. I don't want to be a witch. Do you guys want to be a witch?"

"I don't want to be a witch." Elena replied, making a face.

"Do I get to turn people into frogs." I asked with my hand raised like I was in class.

Bonnie and Elena let out a laugh. "Probably, I think." Bonnie said, chewing her bottom lip with a look of amusement.

"In that case, sign me up."

Bonnie laughed and she looked at Elena who seemed to be putting more food into bowls. "And putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody."

"Seriously, El. You could have asked me to cook instead."

"I didn't think that far, okay." Elena defended herself. "Ok, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?"

"Middle drawer on your left." Bonnie instantly replied without looking.

"Well, that was impressive."

"Ok, so she's been in this kitchen like a thousand times." Elena said as she pulled out the serving spoons.

"Yeah, that's it." Bonnie replied dejectedly. I rubbed Bonnie's arm in comfort.

The doorbell ringing broke us out of our discussions as Elena's eyes widened. "Your Romeo is here, Juliet." I said.

"Don't be nervous. Just be your normal loving selves." She said clearly being the nervous one as she left to open the door.

Bonnie and I said nothing in reply. We just looked on. Bonnie clearly looked affected by what had happened earlier.

"Maybe it was a fluke." I said, looking at Bonnie. I knew it wasn't.

"Birthday candles." I watched in silence as she opened a drawer underneath her. She paused staring at the drawer, her face frozen in horror. I stared at her with wide eyes of concern and watched as she took out a packet of candles and showed it to me. Her eyes wide. "Ava." She gasped.

* * *

The dinner was going exactly as I thought it would. Awkward. Boring. Those were two words I would use to describe this dinner. Bonnie and I had decided to put the psychic stuff away for now and distract ourselves with dinner.

Stefan sat at the head of the table with Elena and Bonnie on his left and right. I had chosen to sit next to Bonnie, thinking, it would be less awkward. I was so wrong. It felt like the dinner would go on eternally.

I glanced at Elena, gesturing with my head at Bonnie and Stefan. Being around Stefan was still hard, the chill was still there, hence why I was wearing my black blazer jacket inside. But I was still determined to make this dinner less awkward.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena broke the silence.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right." Stefan replied.

"You guys should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and…"

"Yeah, I heard." "He caught it." Bonnie and I said at the same time.

"Bonnie, Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?"

"Elena." I hissed.

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad." Bonnie replied, she was also uncomfortable with Elena bringing up the witch stuff.

"No, about the witches. Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use."

"I would. I think witches are really cool." I smiled. Screw it. I might as well play along and be the buffer Elena wanted me to be.

"Well, it's certainly interesting. I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s." Stefan stated, putting his hands together in interest. For someone who is trying to pretend to be a teenager, he sucked.

"My family came by way of Salem." Bonnie corrected him, putting her fork down.

"Really? Salem witches?"

"Yeah."

"I would say that's pretty cool."

"Really? Why?"

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity."

"Yeah, they are." Bonnie agreed, smiling and nodding at Stefan.

I smiled as I finished my plate of food. Maybe Stefan did something tonight. He wasn't as bad as I thought. I was only apprehensive towards him for the nightmare which may or may not come true but for now it seemed he was trying his best. I glanced at him and nodded approvingly. Elena also smiled in delight at her friends getting along with her new boyfriend. And I didn't have to act as the buffer after all. There were no arguments or snide comments made by anyone. Dinner was a success. Or so I thought.

The doorbell rang, breaking us out of the little moment we were sharing. I looked at Elena, questioning her. Elena shrugged. "I wonder who that could be." She wondered out loud before getting up and heading to get the door.

"So, Stefan. You seem to like history." I asked, trying to prevent another awkward break. I silently cursed myself for the choice of question but still managed to keep my face neutral.

"Yeah, I mean Mystic Falls has a rich deep history. You can't help but follow it and it's a domino effect. You follow Mystic Falls history-"

"-And you get sucked into American and then World history. It's a snowball" I finished. He nodded, smiling appreciatively before he froze. A faraway look took over his face and he's eyes were looked down at the dining table as if he was thinking about something.

"Stefan? Stefan?" I asked, trying to get his attention.

A chill passed through me. It wasn't because Stefan was here. This was the same chill, I felt when I met Damon. I groaned internally. What was Damon doing here? I watched as Stefan got up and went to the door. Screw it. I followed Stefan to find Caroline and Damon.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan all but spat out as he stood on the other side of Elena. Caroline stood between him and Elena. I observed that she had another scarf on her neck.

I turned my eyes to the door and watched "Waiting for Elena to invite me in." Damon retorted, smirking. I'm actually starting to wonder if that's his resting face or something.

Elena started stuttering and about to invite him. "No, no, no. He can't, uh...he can't stay. Can you, Damon?" Stefan cut in.

"I agree with Stefan, El." I said, making myself known. Damon narrowed his eyes when he spotted me. "It's already late as it is. We pretty much finished dinner." I looked at Damon and smiled mockingly. "All we have left is dessert."

"Well. What a coincidence, I love desserts." Damon grinned.

"Of course you do." I breathed out quietly under my breath. "Bastard."

Caroline tried to get Damon to come inside, not knowing that he couldn't get in without an invitation. "Yeah, we're just...finishing up." Stefan said, agreeing with me. We both glanced at each other and nodded.

"It's fine. Just come on in." Elena said annoyed. She gave me a look as she went back.

I watched in silent horror as Damon walked into the Gilbert house. "You have a beautiful home, Elena." Damon complimented, staring at me and Stefan with a mocking smile. Elena thanked him humbly, unaware of what she had just done.

* * *

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it." Caroline remarked pretty much sitting on top of Damon on a couch.

Damon and Caroline along with Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and me sat around the coffee table in the Gilbert living room just talking about the day. Well, Caroline did most of the talking while Damon openly eyed Elena. Now and then, he would give me and Stefan a proud but cocky look to show that he had been invited in. To say it was uncomfortable and awkward would be an understatement. Caroline did most of the talking with occasional input from the others and me. She and Damon sat on one of the couches practically sitting on top of each other while Elena and Stefan sat next to each other, Bonnie and I next to each other on another couch sat on the other who occasionally glanced at me in boredom.

"That's what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." Damon said acting like a caring older brother. I wanted to gag.

"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines." Caroline added.

"I'll work with her. She'll get it." Bonnie tried to defend Elena.

"I guess we can put her in the back." Caroline paused contemplating her choices as her gaze landed on me. Oh no. "Or you could take her place, finally put those gymnastic and dance skills to good use, Ava." She asked hopefully.

"I'm gonna tell you what I told the cheer captain in my last school." I replied, bored. Caroline looked on hopefully, leaning towards me a little away from Damon. "No." I grinning, leaning a little back.

"What's wrong with cheerleading?" Damon asked with a mischievous smile, clearly trying to get on my nerves.

"Nothing." Caroline turned to look at him. "It's just Ava being Ava. She's more into arts and photography, give this girl a camera or some paintbrushes she'll give you a masterpiece." She commented, smiling at me.

"You're exaggerating."

"I'm not, I remember how growing up you'd have these beautiful but morbid pieces of artwork and all I'd have is macaroni."

"They were pretty good pieces of macaroni art."

"They were not." Caroline mouthed to Damon. "And when I'd ask you where you got the inspiration, you'd say you had a dream about it. So mysterious, kinda like-" She went on. Damon leaned forward on the couch, clearly interested in what Caroline was saying. He glanced at me and carefully studied my face to observe my reaction.

Before Damon could ask anything. "-That was like when we were kids. Kids are weird. Um, why don't we get back to cheerleading, Caroline?" I quickly said making excuses and changing topics while looking anywhere but Caroline and Damon.

"Oh right. I was thinking we could put Elena in the back."

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." Damon asked Elena, ignoring Caroline. Rude.

"Oh, it's just 'cause her parents died. Ava's grandma died as well. She's fine. Yeah, I mean, Elena's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun."

I glanced at Caroline, with wide eyes. I can't believe what she just said. "Caroline, filter."

A look of realization flashed across her face as she quickly understood the weight of her words. "I say that with complete sensitivity" She apologized.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die." Damon said sincerely.

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon." Stefan cut in, stopping Damon before he could say more.

"Oh, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up. Mmm."

I looked at both of them, going back and forth. "Here we go again." I mumbled out. Breathing out, trying to calm myself. I took a long sip of my mocha, pretending like I hadn't said anything. Damon glanced at me, clearly having heard what I had said. I really needed to shut my mouth or one day I would die.

"You know what, I just remembered I have to call my mom and let her know how I am. So I'm gonna go upstairs to make that call. Is that okay, Elena?" I said, trying to remove myself from this awkward situation. I put down my coffee mug and looked at Elena, using my eyes to tell her I wanted to get out of this situation.

Elena looked at me and nodded. "It's fine, I'm gonna go to the kitchen to wash up anyway."

"Sorry, Elena, I also remembered I have to call Grams." Bonnie said getting up and walking out to the porch.

I grabbed my bag, next to Bonnie's seat on the couch and headed upstairs, from the corner of my eyes I saw Caroline pout in annoyance. Annoyed that three of her friends were abandoning her. I could also feel someone's eyes trailing me as I walked upstairs but I thought nothing of it. It was already strange, having dinner with two vampires.

* * *

I walked straight into Elena's room and looked around. Jeremy and Jenna were not home. It was obvious. The house was too quiet. Before I made my call, I took out the dried vervain and the vervain essence from my bag. Carefully, I walked over to Elena's dressing table.

The mirror attached to the dressing table had pictures of all the Gilbert-Sommers family members. Well, almost all of them, John Gilbert was clearly missing. That wasn't my concern. I took out some of Elena's perfume, and started mixing the vervain essence in. Two to three drops went in. I carefully shook the glass bottle and then smelt it. I couldn't smell any vervain. It was done. I silently thanked Elena's taste in perfumes being earthy and floral rather than something outrageous. I sighed in relief after mixing all of the things in vervain which was barely noticeable.

Stepping back from her dressing table, I looked around her room. Giving a once over, I walked downstairs to help Elena with the dishes.

* * *

I walked straight into the kitchen, to help Elena when I realized, she wasn't alone. _Damon._ Damon just had to be everywhere where Elena was. I was convinced he was trying to sabotage Stefan and Elena's relationship. I stood outside the kitchen, quietly observing.

"-So don't let it. Quit, move on. Problem solved. Ta-da." Damon said nonchalantly.

"Some things could matter again." Elena tried to convince him.

"Maybe. But...seems a little unrealistic to me."

"I'm sorry. About Katherine. You lost her, too." _Katherine._ That name. It was the third time I had heard it.

I decided then and there to make myself known before Damon tried anything else. "Elena, I'm back." I said, smiling. "Why don't you head back to Stefan? I'll take over from here." I turned to Damon, still smiling politely. "Damon, I think Caroline's waiting for you in the living room."

Damon said nothing but glared at me before he stalked out of the kitchen. Elena turned to me and sighed. "I can't let you do this."

"Your boyfriend's out there getting his mind blended by Caroline." I pointed out. "And I mean that in the nicest way possible but he probably was looking forward to spending time with you after me and Bonnie left anyway, instead he's stuck with his brother's new girlfriend. Go." I said, shoving her out of the kitchen.

I watched Elena, walked away from the kitchen. Separating Elena and Damon was easy, too easy. Turning back to the sink, I picked up the dishes and started cleaning and drying them. My thoughts were interrupted when my phone rang. I opened to see it was from none other than Matt. Matt, I still had to give him some vervain.

"Matt, hey." I greeted, carefully, leaning on Elena's counter and removing the bright yellow rubber with my arms.

"Ava, sorry. Is this a bad time."

"No, not really." I replied, putting the gloves on the counter next to the sink.

Matt paused on the other side. "You sure? I know Caroline told me Elena was having a dinner thing at her house for Stefan and you guys. How did it go by the way?" Matt asked, almost spitting out Stefan's name in disgust. I still felt bad for him.

"Yep and I'm still here. It went from bad to okay to now awkward as hell after Caroline bought a date. Damon Salvatore." I replied, twirling a piece of my hair.

"Salvatore? As in..."

"Yeah..."

"What is it with Salvatores?" Matt complained. "At least you're not into any of them."

I started coughing violently in disgust. "Ew. God. No. Never." The thought of dating a vampire scared me to be honest.

"Woah. I didn't mean to be so..." Matt trailed. "Anyways, I actually need your advice."

I stood up straight. "My advice?" I asked, curious.

"Yeah, it's no surprise but it's about-"

"-Vicki?" I cut in.

"Yeah, her and Tyler and...Jeremy." He was clearly frustrated.

"Wait, Jeremy? As in Elena's little brother."

"That's where one of my problems comes in."

"Look I get what you are trying to say. On one side, you have your ex's little brother who just lost his parents and the other you have your best friend whose kind of a dick. The way I see-" I paused as a chill passed through me.

"Ava? You still there." Matt snapped me out of my haze.

"Yeah, I'm here. Sorry for zoning out. I was saying, Jeremy is clearly the better choice. And Tyler may be a dick but he's still your best friend so you should talk to him about it all. He's probably gonna be really pissed off at you but it's fine. It's fine. He needs to hear the truth that he's acting like his dad." I ranted on, acting like I was fine. "Look, Matt, I have to go. Talk to you later." I hung up without even hearing Matt's reply.

I turned around to see Damon had walked back into the kitchen. "Don't stop because of me. Just passing by." He said, leaning against the wall.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Caroline?" I asked.

"Hmm. I am, great girl, don't get me wrong. But she reminds me of a really excited puppy."

"She's a nice girl despite her occasional brattiness. Don't hurt her. She's only excited cause she loves you." I added.

"Most people do." He joked staring at me with a smile most people would find charming. "Except you." He gestured to me.

"I don't hate you." I said bored, turning back to washing. "I just don't care about you."

"You care about this Matt." He stated, now inspecting a glass. "Boyfriend."

"Friend." I stated, grabbing the glass out his hands and washing it thoroughly.

"Right..." He put his hand in defense. "You care a lot about your friends. Like Elena, Caroline and Bonnie?"

"Doesn't everyone?" I retorted, not even bothering to look at him.

"Not me. I don't really have..." He turned me around and trapped me in between the sink. "...friends."

"What do you think you're doing?" I barked out, trying to push him away. "See, THIS is why you don't have friends."

"Be quiet." He commanded, looking me in the eyes. His eyes dilated a little. _Compulsion._ Instantly I pretended to be compelled and became docile. "Good girl." He complimented me patronizingly.

He picked up a strand of my hair and put it behind my ear. I shivered in fear. I wanted to push him away and get away from him. But I couldn't. I had to pretend to be compelled or who knows what he would do to me. I watched in silence as he turned on the tap behind me.

"Right, you're kinda pretty y'know that." My skin crawled with each word he said. "But I'm not here to compliment you." He tilted my head up and stared into my eyes. "Such pretty eyes. Who are you?"

I gulped. "Ava Rose." I said monotonously.

"Ava Rose? Who are you really?" He tried again.

"Ava Rose Fitzroy." I finally revealed after a while.

Damon clicked his tongue. Letting me go, he ran his hands through his hair. "A Fitzroy, that makes so much sense." He mumbled. He turned back to me, grabbing my arms. "Listen here Ava, did you ever feel anything around me or Stefan." He paused. "Say a feeling of death, a cold bitter chill."

 _Yes. All the time_. "No, never."

"Never?" He tried.

"Never." I stated with a feigned lostness.

"Are you adopted?"

"No."

"What do your parents do?"

"Dad, an Attorney. Mom, a doctor."

"Huh." Damon breathed out. "Are you related to the founding family, Fitzroy?"

"Yes."

"Distantly."

"Direct." I stated firmly. There was no use lying to him about my family. He clearly knew what my family could do. All I could do is convince him that I was an exception.

"Bonus question, Ava." Damon said, digging his fingers into my arm. He almost bruised me. "Do. You. Know. Anything. About. Vampires?"

 _Yes. They are monsters and they are real._ "Like Twilight? Yeah, they sparkle." I answered, dumbly, tilting my head for extra effect.

"This is getting nowhere." Damon suddenly let go. And glared down at me as he played with my hair. "You're not gonna remember this."

 _I'm going to remember this._ "I'm not gonna remember this." I repeated, blinking, pretending that his compulsion worked. "What are you doing?" I asked feigning confusion.

"Giving you a hand." He said, slightly smirking. He picked up a towel and started drying the already washed plates, innocently like he hadn't just tried to compel me.

I snatched the plate out his hands. "Thanks, but I-" I froze, as my hands accidentally touched Damon's. The plate fell out of my hands, almost hitting the floor when Damon caught it.

_The colors around me shifted and I found myself outside the school football pitch. Sirens blared out loudly as I watched people running around, trying to make space. My eyes adjusted instantly to the bright lights of the police cars and ambulance._

_I looked around to see that again I was not alone. This time, unlike last time, there were more than two people. It looked like the whole school was here. I bit my lips, scared about what I would see now. A stretcher carried by a few hospital staff passed through me. I shivered. It was so cold. My blood froze as a chill passed through my body. I turned around to see the same stretcher being loaded up on the ambulance._

_It was covered in a white sheet. That only meant one thing. Death. I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself. Someone was dead. I prayed that it wasn't me or any I cared about. My prayers were answered when by a freak accident the sheet moved down a little, giving way for the face of the victim to be seen. My eyes widened as I instantly recognized who exactly it was. It was-_

"Ava?" I woke up to meet Damon's startling blue eyes that feigned concern. "You okay?"

Pushing him away, I got away from the sink and moved to leave the kitchen. "I'm fine. Just tired." I said, turning away from him.

"You sure, you just fainted. You can talk to me about it." He said convincingly.

Before I could reply, Elena and Bonnie had come into the kitchen. They both stared at me in instant concern. I must have looked really bad. "Hey. Need some help?"

"Sure, why not?" Damon replied acting like nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry guys, I'm not feeling very good. I'll see you two later. Tell Care, I left." I quickly said, trying to dry my hands and gather my things. I wanted to get as far as I could from him.

"Wait. I thought I was dropping you off?" Bonnie attempted to stop me.

"It's fine, I'll call Uncle Nate or...Matt." I answered trying to find any excuse to leave.

Bonnie didn't try to stop me. Neither did, Elena. They both understood that I wanted to go. She moved out of the way and gave me a quick hug, asking me to text or call her when I got home. Elena kept apologizing but still asked me to take care. Damon said nothing. He just watched me. He knew. He knew I wasn't really ill or anything. He knew I just wanted to go home because he saw at my worst. At least at my house, he wouldn't be able to do anything. He wasn't invited and I had no plans or ever inviting any vampires into my house, whether it was Stefan or him.

* * *

Matt had kindly dropped me home before he left after I had called him from Elena's and now I sat in my bedroom. I was still home alone. Uncle Nate had texted me earlier, telling me he was going to stay on campus for a few days. If you asked me I just knew that he wanted to avoid the stuff that was going in town right now. I didn't blame him, if I had the chance I would too. Bonnie's grandmother was right, it was a night of darkness. The comet was a harbinger of evil and darkness. My instincts told me that after tomorrow night, everything was going to change. I still debated on whether or not I should go back to my parents or I should stay and expose the Salvatore brothers, maybe just Damon to the Council.

I decided against doing neither, getting up from the floor near, I walked over to my white wooden closet. I swung it open and let my eyes wander through it, before settling on a pair rose pink silk pajamas. I went to change and just go to sleep to forget about everything. Sometimes, I wished I was oblivious to everything and not someone like this, someone normal like Caroline but I knew I would never be. No one in my family ever was.

_Thud._

Something knocked against my window while I changed in the bathroom. I ignored it and continued to change. Thud. Another knock. I ignored it again, hoping it was just a tree branch of something. I carried on washing my face and drying it and thinking about the disastrous dinner tonight. _Thud._ I huffed, getting really annoyed and tired at this noise. I got out of the bathroom, throwing my old clothes into the laundry basket and walked over to the window cautiously but not before getting my family dagger out from my bag.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

It was getting more frequent and more aggressive. Slowly, I walked over to my window and moved my pale pink curtains out of the way. The pitch black darkness of the night made it harder for me to see what this thing was. I strained my eyes to see in the darkness of the night when suddenly a bird flew straight into the closed window. A crow. This was the fourth time this week where a crow had done something odd like this. I knew straight away it wasn't an ordinary crow. I glared at it fiercely as it cawed and pecked it's black beak against the window pane. I shook my head and stepped away from the window, turning my back at it. I wouldn't open the window. I refused to do so.

_Caw. Caw. Caw._

I ignored the cawing sound from the crow and glared at it as I put away my weapon and walked over to the light switch. I didn't flick the light off straight away. I walked around the house quickly, making sure all the doors were closed and I also made sure the security cameras outside were running. Making sure the house was safe, I returned to my room.

The damned crow was still there, waiting to be let in. I shrugged my shoulders at it, mocking it as I walked over to my nightstand and turned on my night lights. I then turned off my bedroom lights.

The crow's beady little eyes followed my every move. The same chill I felt around Stefan and Damon returned. There was a vampire nearby. But vampires couldn't get me, not unless they were invited. And there were no vampires that were ever invited into this house. So I ignored that feeling and slid into my bed and turned off the night lights. I could have sworn that black menace's eyes had flashed an electric blue in the dark for a split second as darkness completely engulfed my room.

* * *

_September 12th 2009,_

_Two dead bodies were found, another couple. They were found deep in the woods surrounding Mystic Falls._

_Uncle Nate told me the Council is starting to get on the edge. I mean they can't keep calling every attack an 'attack animal attack' forever, and they can't make it look like anything else. Uncle Nate and Dad did suggest 'accidental arson' to switch things up. No surprise, the Council rejected it. They had a good idea, not going to lie. It would destroy all evidence and it worked perfectly in 1864. Though, the fires then were for a different reason._

_Anyways, Vicki seems to be improving, at least I think she is. I really hope the Salvatore brothers stay from her. I'm debating on telling Matt about the whole vampire thing, I don't know why but I have a feeling that sooner or later Matt could end up taking Sheriff Forbes place on the Council. Call it intuition or something._

_What else did I miss? Right, 'the dinner at the Gilbert house'. Yesterday evening, Elena invited me, Bonnie and her undead lover for a meal, for us to basically bond over and give Stefan a chance. It went well, if I had to be honest. That is until Damon decided to gate crash along with his new girlfriend, Caroline. I know he's feeding on her._ _Things went bad from worse there on. Damon witnessed me having one of my visions after he compelled me, well tried to anyway. He wanted to know who and what I am. Unfortunately for him, I myself don't know what I am. All I know is that I inherited the stupid Fitzroy gene of sensing a supernatural but the other stuff, nobody knows. I know I'm not a witch or I could be. Grandma Janine would have told me if I was. I don't know. Maybe I'll swing by Sheila Bennett's house to talk with Ms. Sheila about it._

_What I do know is, I need to stop Damon. There's no hope for him. I need to stop him before he kills again. And I need to do it without getting myself and my family involved._

_-Ava R. Fitzroy_

Bright rays of sun glared down at me brightly as I finished writing in my journal. It was a stupid habit, if I had to say for myself but one that encouraged by everyone around me. It was also a founding family thing. At least I was convinced it was. I knew Elena had a journal as did most Gilberts, Fells, Lockwoods, Salvatores and all Fitzroys. Some were in the town museum, some part of the Lockwood's private Founders heritage collection. It was stupid but most if not all of them had vital information on the supernatural.

I shut my journal and shoved it into my black leather bag and took out my camera. I sat on the school football fields. The game would start soon. Right now, I sat near the cheer practice area where Bonnie and the other cheerleaders were warming up. Caroline, as usual was in full head bitch mode, shouting orders, moving people, changing formations.

A strange and uneasy feeling had formed in the pit of my stomach as I watched all the students blissfully get ready for the first game of the football season. The excitement in the atmosphere should have been infectious. I hoped it would be but it wasn't. The gnawing feeling only grew.

Shoving that feeling aside, I gracefully got up from the ground, bringing my bag and camera with me. I put my cross-body bag around my body and my camera around my neck. I couldn't live in fear and anxiety forever. I knew I wasn't the only one, Bonnie too looked restless.

"Ready for the first big game." I said in mock excitement to Bonnie who really wanted to go home.

Bonnie who was in her maroon Lady Timberwolves uniform, looked at me, her brow creased in anxiety. "No. Not really. I have a really bad feeling about tonight." She bit her lip. "I don't know why? I just feel-"

"-Restless?" I offered. I tilted my head and breathed out. Bonnie nodded fiercely. Her emotions were written all over her face. She just wanted to go home and I couldn't blame her. I didn't bother to reply and Bonnie didn't seem to mind. I think she sensed that I also felt anxious and afraid. We watched in silence as the last rays of daylight disappeared when the sun set completely, bringing forth the darkness of the night.

Night had come and day had passed. The whole area around the football field had been lit up with big lights that surrounded the field. It looked pretty in a picturesque small-town way. _Snap._ I took a couple of pictures for myself and followed the crowd.

A crowd had formed around Tanner as he riled them up in excitement. Up until today, I had only heard Tanner being an enthusiast for football and the coach. It was different hearing than seeing. He looked like a totally different person. He looked almost human and less of a dick.

I watched in awe as everyone followed every word he said and cheered loudly for the school's football team. Tanner gave a nod to the apparent new hope for the team, Stefan while also saying the team would be the winners. I honestly didn't care about sports but this was a nice break from the supernatural.

I stood next to Elena who to no surprise was looking at Stefan proudly. I smiled at that. Despite what Stefan was he really made Elena happy and I was ready to look past what he was for that. My face fell when I noticed Matt looking forlornly at Elena, he noticed me staring at him and just shook his head. I did pity Matt but time was rough, you either moved along with or you would get swept along and lose yourself in it's waves. I gave a tight, reassuring smile to him.

"Tyler, stop it! Tyler! Tyler, stop! Stop it! Stop, you're hurting him! Tyler! Tyler, stop! Tyler! Stop it! Tyler, stop!" Vicki's cries echoes through the vast school parking lot.

Instantly the jovial and excited atmosphere shattered as the crowd began to turn it's attention away from Tanner to the two boys behind the crowd. All smiles died that moment when the fight began. Oh my god. It was Jeremy and Tyler, like Matt had told me the night before they were really fighting. Not verbally like Matt had told me on the drive back to my house but physically. It was getting bloody and dirty fast. Vicki attempted to stop them multiple times, only to be pushed aside.

Stefan jumped in and grabbed Tyler's wrist as Tyler advanced in on Jeremy who was lying bloody and bruised on the ground. I ran through the crowd and stood in front of the brawl. And froze. Jeremy's mouth and face was caked with blood as he barely clung on to his consciousness. _Blood._ Seeing the bloody corpse from my nightmare flashed in my head. "Hey, he's down! Enough!" Stefan barked out.

Tyler ignored Stefan's order and tried to punch Stefan instead in rage and jealousy. To everyone's surprise, it had no effect on Stefan. His face was not marred and he didn't flinch. I watched with apprehension as Tyler's face morphed into fearful expression.

Suddenly, Jeremy grabbed a broken glass bottle and attempted to strike Tyler. "Watch out!" I warned. Was he out of his mind? Tyler dodged in time but Stefan wasn't so lucky. The glass bottle cuts open his hand as blood gushed out of his hands. I looked on fearfully, on the verge of a panic attack. Matt had ran from the crowd and stood next to me and looked at me in concern.

"Jeremy, no!" Elena shouted making her way to Jeremy through the crowds, trying to stop Jeremy from striking Tyler but she was too late. I watched from a distance as Elena started going off on him and almost felt bad for him. Almost. Jeremy did almost cause me to have a panic attack so he deserved it.

Matt glanced at me and I nodded. I wasn't the one who needed to worry about anyway. He sprinted towards Tyler and tried to stop him "Tyler, knock it off! Stop!" He then shoved Tyler aside. While Jeremy stalked off in anger and frustration.

I ran a finger through my pony tail and loosened it a little. I glanced at Stefan to see he was healing at a fast pace in front of the whole crowd. Elena seemed to notice his bleeding hand and rushed towards him. I watched in silence and Elena forced Stefan to open his hand. The bleeding had all but disappeared after Stefan wiped the excess blood on his pants. I couldn't see if there was any residual scarring from where I stood but I knew from Elena's expression there probably wasn't. She nodded unconvinced and skeptically walking away from him. She glanced at me and gave me we-need-to-talk look. I nodded back.

Elena made her way back to me. "Did you see Stefan's hand by any chance?" She asked desperately to have a reason behind what she saw.

 _Yes. I did._ "No, I didn't." I paused, looking to see if Stefan was still there or not. "I was too far to actually see anything."

"Ava." She breathed out. "I could have sworn his hand was bleeding..." I didn't say anything and nodded understandingly. This wasn't supposed to be my job. Grayson and Miranda were the ones who should have told her and Jeremy about this. I couldn't. I couldn't expose her to this. Not now. Not yet. "Alright. Um. I'm gonna...get my jacket. We need to talk to Bonnie. Do you wanna..."

"Actually, I'm gonna check on Matt. He looked like he needed some help with Tyler." I said excusing myself. I remembered that I had a first aid kit in my bag for emergencies. Another habit I had picked up from my mom. "Here." I said, opening the kit, taking out some cotton and bandages. "It's not much but if you see Jeremy, you can try to patch him up." Elena grabbed the medical supplies from my hand and smiled gratefully. "Oh wait. I have some painkillers as well. Here." I shoved some of the painkillers into her hand.

"What would I do without you?" She asked rhetorically. A cool breeze blew through us, causing Elena to shiver and me to pull my cardigan closer to me. I decided to wear a maroon cardigan with some black skinny jeans and a baby pink light turtleneck sweater paired with some boots. Unlike Elena, I had decided to cover up more because of my constant chills around vampires. Elena looked enviously at my outfit, blaming herself for not dressing slightly warmer. She said nothing and walked away.

* * *

I found myself outside the locker room for the Timberwolves. Matt, Tyler and I stood outside. I carefully tended to Tyler's bruises with Matt looking on, pissed as hell. Clearly, Matt didn't take it too well that Tyler had started the fight.

I wasn't particularly bothered by it all. I was more concerned about Vicki and Jeremy. Tyler was my last concern. Heck, the only reason, I stood here outside was because of Matt. "Ow. Ava. Careful. Don't mess up my face." Tyler complained as I dabbed some antiseptic on his face with a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic.

"Keep squirming like that and I will do more than just mess it up." I retorted. Ungrateful bastard. I was literally wasting my medical supplies tending to his over inflated ego and he wasn't even grateful.

"Please, do. He clearly deserves it." Matt added. He leaned against the wall, next to the locker room doors. "Maybe then he'll learn something." He said looking up at the night sky.

"Seriously, dude. I did it for you."

"God. Grow up. Tyler." I threw the cotton ball in the bin next to me. I rummaged my kit for some extra bandages and scissors. "Stop blaming your own action on others. It's not cute." I cut some bandages. "Just say you were jealous of Stefan and go." I grabbed some medical tape and cut it to a suitable size. Matt watched me carefully, following my every movement.

"I'm not jealous of the new kid. I did it-"

"-Yeah, yeah. Walk it off, Lockwood." I cut in, sticking the bandages to his face securely and roughly. "Now, I just need to find Jeremy." I mumbled out quietly. Tyler, looked at me and touched his bandages, somewhat gratefully.

"Whatever. Thanks for this." Tyler just thanked me. I was shocked. "I'll see you inside, Matt." Tyler walked past Matt and walked through the locker room doors, slamming it in the process.

"Huh. Tyler Lockwood just thanked me." I said, tilting my head.

Matt got off from the wall and walked towards me. "Don't get too comfortable. He's still a dick." He warned me. "He went too far today. You were right, I should've had a talk with him." He picked up the roll of bandages from the bleachers next to the locker room. "Instead, I chickened out and said nothing. Now it's gotten bad. I just wasted your time."

"You didn't waste my time." I grabbed the roll and put it in the kit. "I have a feeling that even if you had a million talks with Tyler, he wouldn't have fixed himself." I picked up the scissors, from the bleachers. "If you ask me, he's jealous."

"Jealous?" Matt asked, confused. "Tyler doesn't get jealous."

"He's human." I added. "All humans get jealous. He's jealous that Stefan has coach Tanner's attention and now yours. There's Vicki who used to worship the ground he walked on, she's interested in Jeremy. Or I think she's interested in him." I finished shutting the fit and putting it in my bag, carefully.

Matt silently stood by and contemplated my words. "You make a lotta sense. But still-"

"-But nothing, you need to enjoy tonight. If you have to have go inside and give Tyler, a piece of your mind." I stopped him. "Go Timberwolves!" I said in feigned enthusiasm, trying to make Matt smile. He worried too much sometimes.

A grin broke out on his face as he bursted out laughing. "Even I could do better." He said, wiping away some stray tears of laughter away from his face. "It's like this. Watch. GO TIMBERWOLVES!." He said perkily. "You need to be more perky and excited."

"See this is why I would suck as a cheerleader." I said with a gesture to him.

"Can't imagine you as one." Matt admitted.

"Right! Caroline keeps trying to get me to join her cult."

"Oh no. How'd that go?"

"How do you think? I said no, obviously." I stated sarcastically rolling my eyes and leaning against the bleachers. _Ping._ "Well, this was nice. I'll see you in a bit." I said getting off the bleachers and walking towards the cheerleaders.

"Leaving? Oh great. I have to go and talk to Tyler now." He complained.

"He's not the worst person." Wait, till he met Damon Salvatore. "You can do this. Good luck with the game and Tyler." I encouraged him, walking away. I had a strange feeling around that area and the more I stayed, the more my anxiety levels would spike. I had to get away. I looked down to see my hands shake violently.

* * *

I walked to the cheerleaders who were getting ready for the big game. Caroline was picking on a cheerleader called Tiki who seemed to be struggling to put something up. I felt bad for her. But I didn't dare get involved. Instead, I waved at Caroline who had a black scarf around her neck. Damon fed from her again.

Biting my lips, I forced myself to turn away from Caroline and walk toward Bonnie who still looked uneasy and a little scared. She seemed to be talking to Elena who still hadn't gone to get her jacket.

"-When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling. And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it…"

"And what?"

"...it was death." I finished off, appearing behind Bonnie. My eyes felt hazy and felt watery.

"Yeah..." Bonnie looked at me perplexed. "How did you-" She started but stopped noticing the faraway look in my eyes. "It's what I imagine death to be like."

Elena looked between both of us and stalked off, scared. It was inevitable. Sooner or later, we'd all fall down this hole.

A feeling of dread overtook me as I stood next to Bonnie, Elena had left before and still hadn't returned. This was the same feeling I had the night of the comet, when Vicki was taken to the roof of the Grill. Bonnie looked exhausted but still carried on with the cheer routine, plastering a smile on her face.

_Let's Go Timberwolves._

The students and teachers all chanted throughout the football field. The atmosphere was almost euphoric. Almost. The gnawing feeling pointed me to the direction of the locker rooms.

_Snap. Snap. Snap._

Like Bonnie, I attempted to dive head first into forgetting the foreboding feeling. I focused on the yearbook pictures. _Snap._ Suddenly, the camera fell out of my hands and almost landed on the floor. It stopped and swung from it's strap around my neck. My hands began to shake, my vision started to blur and the intense feeling of death took over me. I gave a quick glance at Bonnie before stalking blindly towards the locker rooms.

I slowed down as I came closer to the locker rooms. A chill passed through me with every step I took. An iron-like smell filled my senses as I almost gagged in disgust. _Blood._ It wasn't iron. It was blood. Someone was bleeding near the locker room. In panic, I sprinted towards the locker rooms, only to find Matt hunched over a corpse.

My stomach dropped as I took in the scene before me. It was the same. My nightmare and this. It was the same. I had again predicted someone's death. Matt hysterically screamed for help as I looked on shocked. He turned around, sensing my presence as gravel loudly crunched beneath my black heeled boots.

"Ava. I didn't-" Matt began, turning to look at me in desperation.

"-I know." I cut him off, taking out my phone and dialing not only 911 but also quickly texting Uncle Nate. I knew who did this. _Damon._ Tears dripped down my face, making it hard for me to see. "It's gonna be okay, he's gonna be..." I tried to reassure both of us. "It's-"

Matt got up from the ground and cradled me, blocking my view of Tanner's body. I broke down. Like a dam had broken inside me. All my composure since coming to Mystic Falls had broken down. I didn't cry this much at Grandma Janine's funeral. I had been around death ever since I could remember. But this was different. Seeing visions, going to funerals was not the same as actually seeing an actual corpse. I knew someone was going to die today but I didn't think it through. Tanner was a dick, yeah but he didn't deserve to be torn to shred. I broke down, sobbing and clinging onto Matt who rubbed my back, trying to comfort me.

* * *

Sirens blared loudly in the background, the noise was mixed with the noise of anguish and shock from everyone around me but I didn't cry. I had long since stopped crying. As did Matt. We both sat numbly, clutching onto individual blankets. My eyes wandered around aimlessly, taking in the aftermath of the tragedy. I stopped and froze as my eyes focused on a cheerleader. Bonnie. She was crying, breaking down like I had done. I had almost forgotten about Bonnie.

I glanced at Matt and whispered that I was going to talk to Bonnie. He didn't say anything. He was too shocked and frightened. The Sheriff's officers had talked to us before with him, sticking to one or two words. He didn't deserve this. None of us did. Sooner or later, we would all be exposed to this stupid truth.

Getting up, I left the comfort of my blanket behind and walked lethargically towards Bonnie. I engulfed her in a comforting hug and whispered comforting words to her but she cried even harder like I had done before with Matt. "Ava." Bonnie gasped out as I let go of her. "The numbers that I kept seeing...they're here." She gestured to a sign on the building that said 'BLDG 8', the number 14 on a license plate, and parking space 22. _8 14 22_. The numbers Bonnie had been seeing. They were predicting Tanner's death. While I had seen him die. Bonnie and I both knew Tanner was going to die and we had done nothing about it.

I turned around just in time to see the stretcher with Tanner's body being loaded up on the ambulance. It was covered in a white sheet, indicating that he was dead. I froze, this was the same as the vision I had when I touched Damon at Elena's house. Bonnie, Matt and I looked on in shock, horror and fear as Tanner's body was taken to the morgue in the ambulance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friday Night Bites (1X03) is officially done. 
> 
> Damon knows who her family is and what they were capable off. And they definitely don't like each other. Season 1 Damon wasn't the best person to be honest. Lot's of things happened this chapter. Ava's dreams are getting more frequent and worse, now she's hearing voices as well.


	5. The Family Jewels

Chapter 4: The Family Jewels

* * *

Light flooded the dark room, shadows disappeared as light drove them out. It took some time to get readjusted to the light. Dust covered the whole room. I looked around the old master room turned storage with its wood paneled walls and grey marble floors. The room hadn't been used since the flooring was changed in the 20s. It was part of the old Fitzroy house before the renovation made the house into a manor it is now.

White cloths covered in dust engulfed the furniture. The queen bed, unused for almost more than half a century lay in the center. Chairs and tables all lay haphazardly along with other old paraphernalia, my family hadn't used in a long time.

Glancing around the wreck of the room, I quickly got to finding the artifact, Mom had sent me here for. It was an old necklace from the civil war era. A simple necklace in gold with a bloodstone in the center of the pendent with some elaborate vine metal work surrounding stone. The Lockwoods had asked for that particular necklace for a short term loan to the Lockwoods and the Council along with an antique 16th century music box and a gold hand mirror decorated with gold flowers. Both the music box and hand mirror were already in the living room, cleaned and packed in a wooden box to be handed to the Lockwoods as they were actually part of the list of items to be loaned. They were easy to find, they were more in use and more displayed by my family in the library. The necklace, however, had not been seen by anyone in over a hundred years.

My Uncle along with my parents and I had all but turned our house upside down looking for this stupid necklace. I was this close to giving up and having Mom apologize to Carol. I almost felt sorry for my parents, they only came back to comfort me about discovering Tanner's dead body but somehow they both got roped into helping the council for the short time they would be here.

I draped the cloth back on the night tables and the bed and finally decided to look for the dressing table. I was really trying to avoid going to the dressing table. It was in a far corner of the huge room covered in cobwebs and dust. Sighing, I made my way to it. Ducking and crawling to get through the various furniture in the way, I stood in front of the dressing table.

With a flourish, I pulled the dirty white fabric off the dressing table. Dust flew everywhere, making me sneeze and my eyes water. This necklace better be worth it. I took a step back and observed the dressing table. There was a drawer in the center, with six smaller ones on each side. There was an oval shaped mirror, covered in a light layer of dust. The oval mirror had intricate design of vines and flowers. This family really is obsessed with nature.

I decided to try and open the center one. Locked. It was locked. I wanted to kick this stupid table in frustration. Calming myself, I breathed and breathed in, taking a step back as I did so. With a deep sigh, I decided to try and open the three on the left first instead after the setback. The top left drawer had a metal hairbrush along with an old makeup box that looked to be from the 50s, it was probably left here after this room was abandoned. Putting my gloves back on, I decided to take both of them out. They could be useful for all I know. I closed the top left drawer and moved on to the next one. It was empty and so was the bottom one. Thinking nothing of it, I moved on to the right side. Right top drawer, empty. The middle right drawer, empty. Almost giving up all hope of finding the necklace, I swung open the last drawer. To my surprise, there was something. A set of metal keys were thrown in there.

I picked up the keys and held it up to the light. There were seven in total. I glanced at the center drawer and decided to try all of the keys that would fit. The three didn't fit, the fourth one almost got stuck. The fifth one went in, I watched in quiet anticipation as I turned it in the keyhole. With a click, the drawer unlocked. I breathed out in relief. Breathing in a load of dust on accident. Not my best moments. Coughing up the dust, I swung open the drawer.

Empty. It was empty. There was nothing in there. There was one jewelry box, but it was filled with useless but valuable earrings, necklaces, chokers etc. But none of them was the damned bloodstone necklace. In disbelief, I slammed the bottom of the wooden drawer in tired frustration while it was opened. The top layer of the drawer moved. I pushed the bottom of the drawer again, and carefully used my other hand to remove the top layer of the drawer. It was either going to be a secret compartment or I broke an antique family dressing table.

To my relief, it was a secret compartment. Trust my family to have secret compartments that almost cause you to panic. Rolling my eyes, I moved the top layer of the smooth wooden drawer off completely. There in the center of the compartment was a wooden rectangle box. Placing the wooden panel on the floor. Gently I picked up the box and opened it. In the center of a grey velvet lay the damned necklace. In it's pendent was the bloodstone. A black gemstone, speckled with light crimson mis-shaped dots.

I glanced back to the dressing table with the necklace dangling on my hand. All of a sudden I felt lightheaded. Colors shifted in my eyes and images floated before my eyes. Before I knew it, everything turned dark.

_When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the old master room anymore. I was in another bedroom, sitting in front of the dressing table from the old master room. It looked almost new and dust free. I looked up at the mirror. Jade green eyes stared back at me. The person in the reflection was stranger but a familiar one. It was someone that I had only seen in old family photographs. The girl in the reflection had a heart shaped pale face. This wasn't me, I didn't have a pale complexion. Her startling green eyes blinked causing me to blink. I found myself touching my neck. The necklace was on her neck._

_"Miss Fitzroy, it's time." A maid came in and fixed my dress. A light rose ball gown with a large hoop skirt underneath. The neckline was off the shoulders with frills on each side. There were some embroidered roses along the neckline._

_"I don't think this-" I gestured at the necklace. "-Suits the dress. It's too dark and eye-catching." I sighed._

_"Ah, well. Your father insisted that you wear it, Miss." I nodded, pouting. "Perhaps these dark gloves could help." She asked, picking up some silk black gloves._

_I grabbed the gloves from her and put them on. "Perhaps." I turned to look at her. "How do I look, Winnie." I twirled a little._

_"Wonderful, I am most certain that you'll most likely be the belle of the ball and have everyone's attention at the Founder's Ball."_

_I scoffed. "Well, I'm no Katherine Pierce." Katherine? There was that name again._

_"Please, Miss. That orphan from Atlanta has nothing on you. She's probably an urchin pretending to be something she's not." Winnie ranted, fixing my skirt and leading me down the stairs of the old Fitzroy manor._

_"She's definitely pretending, alright." A voice interrupted Winnie. Winnie instantly bowed and left, handing me to him. "Shall we?" I nodded and took his hand._

_"We're late, brother." I simply said, following him to a carriage._

_The colors shifted again and I found myself dancing with someone. I blinked to get a clear view of my partner. Sharp blue eyes stared at my green ones. I took in his face. He looked familiar, he looked like Damon. "I'm surprised. Mr Salvatore."_

_"Surprised?" He asked twirling around without touching me. I followed his steps. From the outside, we looked like an ideal southern couple. "What's there to be surprised by, Miss Fitzroy?"_

_"Please call me Lydia...after all we are both old friends." I said flirtatiously. I wanted to throw up. My ancestor was flirting with Damon Salvatore. This can't get any worse. "I'm surprised you asked me to accompany you for this dance."_

_He grinned boyishly. "You're a lovely dancer and one can never pass an opportunity to dance with a beautiful and graceful lady such as yourself." He bowed. I glanced at him unimpressed, something that mirrored Lydia's expression as well._

_I stayed quiet following his steps and watched as a couple came through the door. Stefan and Elena? Confused thoughts filled me. Elena was not a vampire, she and I grew up together. Then who was that. "Ah. I see your preferred partner finally made a choice." Damon's face hardened. "And it's not you." Damon lost all composure and grabbed my waist. "Did I touch a nerve, Mr Salvatore?"_

_"Please, call me Damon. Mr Salvatore is my father." He twirled me around with a crazed look on his face._

_I stepped back and dipped low before getting up straight. I ended the dance. "I appreciate the offer,_ _**Mr Salvatore** _ _." I came close to his ears and whispered softly. "But I have no intentions of getting involved in your and your brother's games with Miss Katherine." I nodded politely, walking away from him._

_My surroundings disappeared again in a swirl and I found myself outside. The cold bitter wind blew gently across my face in the balcony where I stood, staring out at the starry night sky. I pulled the shawl around me tighter._

_"Miss Fitzroy." A confident and seductive voice called out to me. "Miss Lydia Fitzroy." She tried again._

_I breathed out in frustration before schooling my face to a polite smile. "Miss Pierce. What can I do for you?" I asked, turning to face...Elena. Or someone who looked exactly like Elena but in period clothing._

_"Please, call me Katherine." She said, striding to stand next to me. "I noticed, you danced with Damon Salvatore. You are a very good dancer." I nodded at her compliment offering to say nothing. I could feel Lydia's fear and apprehension. She didn't like this Katherine, this Elena look-alike and she wanted to leave._

_I glanced at Katherine, taking in her appearance. Her hair was up in ringlets. She wore a lilac ball gown with white gloves. It was really unnerving to see someone so closely resemble one of my best friends but at the same time look so different. Maybe it was the way Katherine held herself, confidently and seductively, that set her apart from Elena._

_A cold chill overtook Lydia and me. Slowly, I felt Lydia move her head to glance at Katherine in silent horror. Vampire. "Miss Pie-" I started, stopping myself. "Katherine, do you need something from me." I asked, slowly stepping towards the ball._

_"Why I thought you would never ask, Lydia?" She grinned dangerously. "I can call you Lydia, right?" I said nothing in response. Seeing as I would not say anything, she continued. "As a matter of fact, I do want something from you." She stalked towards me. "I want you to give a message to your family."_

_"A message?"_

_"Yes, a message to your family." She smiled innocently, opening a fan, she fanned herself lightly. "Leave me and my 'friends' alone." She recited the message, looking as innocent as ever. It was unnerving to see Elena like this._

_I scoffed. "I have no idea what you mean, Miss Pierce. I do not have time for your silliness." I took out my own fan. "If you would excuse-"_

_Katherine flashed in front of me, grabbing my neck. "I wasn't asking." She hissed, her face darkening. Black veins formed under eyes. Two sharp fangs appeared in her mouth. I felt my host scream in terror but Katherine's blocked all noise from escaping. "There are other ways to send a message, you know." She grinned, biting into my neck._

_I closed my eyes in fear of the pain. There was nothing. No pain. I quickly brought my hands to my neck and found no blood there. I glanced in front of me to see Katherine on her back, knocked out. I looked around and saw I was still alone._

_Suddenly, the pendant of my necklace felt warm. I glanced down to see the bloodstone glow red for a slight second before it returned to it's normal form. Thinking nothing of it, I felt Lydia gracefully weave across the Lockwood mansion to get to her family carriage and get to the safety of her house._

I came to my senses instantly. I was still standing in the dimly lit old master room in front of Lydia Fitzroy's dressing table. The bloodstone necklace, clutched tightly in my hand. Placing the necklace back in the back. I put everything back in its place and left the room, making sure to close the lights and lock the room. I could've sworn I had seen a flash of green in the mirror before the darkness engulfed the room _._

* * *

"I have both the hand mirror and the music box ready for Tyler to pick it up on the day of the ball." A soft voice echoed through the library as I walked into the family library. Mom, Layla Fitzroy, leaned against a table as she held her phone, staring at a wooden box. "Oh the necklace. See we're still looking for it." She twirled her fingers through her dark curly hair as she spoke. "Yes, Carol. I can assure you we are actually looking for it. Nathanial, Gabrial and I almost turned the house upside down looking for it. We even asked Ava to help." She paused for a moment before staring at my dad who leaned against one of the bookshelves staring at Mom.

My dad moved forward and took the phone off Mom's hands and gave Uncle Nate and Mom an annoyed look. Carol Lockwood had that effect on people. "Carol, hi. It's me Gabrial." He looked bored as he listened to Carol's endless greetings. "We appreciate your and the Council's interest in the necklace but even if we do find it, it'll be impossible to loan it to the Lockwood family even for a brief moment." He paused glancing at the ceiling and carefully choosing his next words. "Yes, I'm aware of what Nathaniel said before." He stressed my Uncle's name as he glared at him.

"I didn't mean to-" Uncle Nate tried to defend himself, sharply whispering just so only we could hear him. He got up from the table near a window and came close to my parents.

My dad cut him off, ignoring him and responding to Carol on the phone. "You have to remember that my mother only put the music box and the hand mirror on the list of items." He rolled his eyes and poured himself a drink before continuing. "Yeah, that list was made before the attacks and what about it? We're not gonna add items just because the council feels like it." He took a sip. "Besides even if we do find it, I'll let Ava have it. She needs it more than the Council."

Mom, hearing my dad's words, took back the phone and forced a plastic smile on her face. Her eyes were twitching at whatever Carol was saying. "Carol, it's Layla again." She said in a sickly sweet tone. "Yeah, I just want to let you know we would most definitely not loan the necklace especially if it's found. Our family needs it more than anyone in the Council." Her face hardened for a second. "That's great but need I remind you, my daughter along with a classmate of hers found a dead body a few days ago. Or is that too hard for you to remember?" She slammed her hands on to the table in annoyance.

I quietly followed Uncle Nate back to his table near the window. "Your mom is going all out war on Carol over there." Uncle Nate whispered to me, gesturing to where my parents were.

"She totally deserves it." I retorted. He shrugged looking at me. Glancing at him, I waved the box in front of him.

"You found it." He hissed in excitement and surprise. "How? And where?"

"Old master bedroom on the second floor east wing." I simply replied, opening the box, still wearing my gloves. I took out the necklace and held it up in the sunlight that poked through the library windows.

Uncle Nate, took out his own set of latex gloves and put them on before he gently took the necklace from my hand. "That explains it. No one goes to that side of the house anymore." He inspected the necklace. "This is the real thing alright." He placed the necklace back into its box. "At least it matches the description and photos of it. Kinda ugly if you ask me."

"It is and it better be worth it." I hissed. "I almost lost my head, trying to find this and gave myself a heart attack." I ranted quietly, putting the small box on the table where my Uncle Nate glanced at the small box. "The master room in the east wing really needs a clear up."

"Yeah—but no one's gonna do it." He replied quietly. We both looked at my dad who had again taken over the phone and was now having a talk with Mayor Lockwood instead of his wife.

Carol was an annoyance while her husband was just a dick. How he was the Mayor, I would never know. Well, actually I did. He came from a long line of Mayors. My family and the Fell family did take turns being the Mayors once or twice in the long history of our town.

"Thank you for your understanding, Richard. Family is very important and our kids are our future and we would hate for anything to happen to them." My dad took on a overtly polite tone. "Yes, I don't think I need to tell Ava to be careful with it, seeing is it is **our** family's heirloom and we'll see you at the Founder's ball. I'll be there at the meeting this time with Layla." He glared at Uncle Nate again. "From what I know Nathanial will definitely be there as well." He breathed. "I can't imagine what gave you that idea Richard." Uncle Nate was so dead. Mayor Lockwood really had probably told my dad Uncle Nate had been skipping meetings. "Nate was most likely busy with his thesis and taking care of Ava which is I admit mine and Layla's fault."

Mom rolled her eyes and made her way to where I and Uncle Nate had sat near the window. She said nothing when she noticed the small box. I watched as she picked it up, already wearing latex gloves and turned it around in her hands before opening and observing the necklace. She stayed silent but only glanced at me in approval.

"Did they hang up?" Mom asked without looking at my dad. My dad said nothing but instead just walked towards us and hugged Mom from behind. Uncle Nate and I looked at each other in disgust at the public display of affection. "They really are tiring. Anyways, look what Ava found." Mom brought the necklace to my dad's face. "The bloodstone necklace, it'll need some cleaning up but here it is."

"Hmm. I'll have one of the maids clean it." My dad simply said over Mom's shoulder. He let go of her waist and glared at Uncle Nate. "Mind telling us why you're skipping the Council meetings and don't use Ava as an excuse."

"I'm sorry for missing the cult meetings but I really did have to work on my thesis." Uncle Nate insisted.

Mom leaned on the table, putting her hands on the table. "Right. We believe that. Right now, it's more important than ever for a member of our family to attend those meetings." She said, leaving the room after picking up the wooden box with the music box and the hand mirror. I followed her immediately, dad and Uncle Nate followed soon afterwards.

"Look I swear I wasn't skipping-"

"Give it a rest, Uncle Nate. We all know you totally skipped." I cut in, falling into a leather couch in the living room. I grabbed the remote from the glass coffee table and flipped the TV on. "I don't blame you, I would've done the same." I grinned at him.

"Ava." Mom chastised me, moving her head in disappointment.

"Now is not the time to skip on the important meetings given the fact that the Salvatore family are actually hiding not one but two vampires. One of which is very dangerous." My dad stated, looking at all of us. "We need a family meeting."

"We really don't." Mom, Uncle Nate and I said at the same time.

I turned into the local news channel. "Let's be real here, you only want to have this 'meeting' to talk about how you want to bury the Salvatores." I paused when Gina, our maid came into the living room, she placed a couple of glasses and a jug of water and left as she came. Mom smiled gratefully at her. "We get it. We hate them. We have a feud with them since forever." I poured myself a glass. "But don't you think you're overdoing this."

My dad looked at me annoyed and sat down on the love-seat next to Mom. "No, I don't think I am. People are dying, Ava."

"She's not saying they aren't, Gabe." Uncle Nate took a seat on the armchair directly in front of the love-seat. "But if we jump into things, we're the ones who are gonna die. Evie and Di even agreed it's best if we lay low."

"I'm just saying we should tell the council and then they'll handle it."

"They know." I cut in. "Both of the—the vampires, they know what we can do. One tried to compel me and even asked if I was adopted. I lied, obviously." I finished looking at them.

"More reasons we should just let them use the Gilbert watch than get involved." Mom spoke up.

"We could at least offer to be the town's main vervain supplier." My dad offered.

I took a sip of my drink and looked at Uncle Nate who looked really annoyed. "And draw attention to ourselves." He poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. "Ava actually did a huge favor for us. For one, she made them believe that the current Fitzroys-" He pointed to me, my father and I. "-meaning us, even the ones who are not here, have no clue or idea of vampires. She even made them believe we don't have that freakish sixth sense in detecting them." He got up. "So let's keep it that way."

_"I can confirm that a 12-foot puma mountain lion attacked a hunter and was subsequently shot and killed. The hunter is in stable condition." Sheriff Forbes looked confidently into the camera as she assured the reporter._

We all looked at each other, saying nothing. Mom reacted first, looking at all of us and she raised her left hand. "We'll vote, all in favor of helping the council-" My dad was the only one who put his hand up, he glared at Mom. "All in favor of staying out of everyone's business." Her hands stayed up while Uncle Nate and I put our hands up. "Oh wait, Dan's not here, so I'll vote on his behalf." She put her right hand up.

"Does that mean I can vote on Evie's behalf?" Uncle Nate asked. Mom just shrugged and immediately his other hand shot up.

"Diana would agree with me." Dad pouted.

"But you're still outnumbered." I pointed out, leaning on the couch.

"Majority wins, we stay out and protect ourselves." Mom declared getting up and collecting the used glasses and heading to the kitchen. "Ava, sweetie. Why don't you head upstairs and pick your dress, since you're getting ready at Elena's on the night of the ball." She said, turning back and leaning on the doorway to the hallway. "I'll have the maids polish the necklace in time for the ball, hopefully it'll be done by today."

* * *

Three dresses lay on my bed neatly. All different shades of red. All of them were short except one which was short from the front and long from back but not too long, it went down to my knees. In the end, I decided to match the color of my dress with the necklace. I still didn't know what was so special about this stupid necklace. Gina had left it in my room after it was polished by her and Mom. It looked new. The crimson speckles actually gleamed among the black now. The mostly black gemstone revealed itself to have opalescent sheen to it between red and green. It was almost pretty.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three knocks. Mom was at my door. She always knocked three times, no more, no less. A small habit from her childhood. I never really asked about it. "Come in." I called out, touching the lace sangria dress on the right. "Any ideas?" I asked, gesturing to the dresses.

Mom walked in gracefully and glanced at the three dresses. "Can't pick." She peered at the wine red with light beading. "Well, definitely not this one. Too much cleavage." She shook her head in disgust.

"What's wrong with that?" I asked, tilting my head to a side.

She gently picked up the dress and put it back in my closet. "Really? Your grandparents would be rolling in their graves if I let you wear that. And by your grandparents, I meant my parents. You know how Asian parents are." She complained. "Here, what about this one?" She pulled out a short ruby chiffon dress. "This even has your favorite neckline. Off-the-shoulder."

I glanced at the dress and took it from her and went to change behind the illustrated room divider. I didn't even remember buying this dress because it was a gift. A gift from my brother for my last birthday. It was the only present from him I had actually liked. I smiled knowingly, Mom picked the dress, knowing Dan wasn't here. It was sweet of her. "Need any help?" Mom bellowed from my bedroom.

"I got this. Don't worry." I replied, fixing the bottom light ruffles of the dress. Stepping back, I glanced at the long mirror behind the screen. The dress was really pretty, It had a bardot neckline and the skirt had light tiered ruffles. Formal but casual. I went out the room divider and gave a twirl. "I think this one's 'the one'." Mom's hands went to her mouth in happiness. She nodded fiercely at my look.

"I have just the shoes for it. And a purse too." She gushed. I decided to go change. "Wait, Gina brought the bag and shoes, try them on and try the necklace on too." Mom quickly grabbed the purse from Gina and gave me some black strappy heels to wear. "Now this is perfect." She remarked.

"You look really good Miss Fitzroy." Gina also gushed. I smiled brightly at the compliments from both of the women and twirled again in my dress before actually going to change.

"Remember to leave the necklace on." Mom reminded me as I slowly shed the dress and light kicked the heels off. I heard mom thank Gina as she left the room to get back to her other chores.

Buttoning up my plaid shirt, I accidentally grabbed the necklace. It felt warm and comforting, like my vision. "The necklace repels vampires, right?" I asked, coming out of the divider. Mom looked at me, startled.

She looked confused for a second before a look of realization came over her face. She laughed quietly and sighed. "Along with healing properties. At least that's what your uncle and dad said. Don't know if it actually works." She added, stepping towards me and pushing my hair back gently. She took a step back and looked at me with a bittersweet expression. "You have your grandmother's gift." She remarked, picking up the chiffon dress from the floor and carefully folded it. "Which makes sense since you have her eyes."

"Grandma Janine? Didn't she have grey eyes?" I asked, confused. Mom smiled sadly and shook her head. She placed the chiffon dress in a bag, along with the heels.

She breathed out. "I meant my mother. Your grandma, Mila." My eyes widened. "I know I never talk about my parents but you do look a lot like her—and me but you have her eyes. These beautiful amber eyes. I remember wishing I had those eyes." She went on, looking at me sadly. "Her eyes weren't the only thing you got from her."

I took the bag from her hands. "What do you mean?" I asked, taking a seat on my bed.

Mom said nothing. She just walked to my dressing table and started taking out some makeup. An eye-shadow palette and some lip glosses along with some foundation and concealer. "I mean, you have the same dreams like she used to have." She turned around and brought a makeup bag with her.

I looked at her in shock. She didn't flinch or react in any way. "Grandma Mila had psychic visions." I said to myself. She nodded anyway, quietly putting the makeup in the makeup bag and handing it to me.

"She would always tell me her dreams. She even knew when she and dad, your grandfather were going to pass away." She remarked with a far away look. "She could also do this thing where she'd just say something and you'd just want to do what she asked you to do. She was-"

Knock.

A knock interrupted our conversation. Uncle Nate's head popped up from the door. "Sorry to interrupt your girl talk but we have a Council meeting in 5."

"Have fun." I called out, finishing packing my things.

"Says the one who gets to stay at home." Uncle Nate stopped and turned to mom. "Unless, you want to come with us." Mom glared at him in response. Uncle Nate took that as an answer and led her down back to the library. I followed them both downstairs, but stayed in the living room.

* * *

> _24th September 2009,_
> 
> _It's been a few weeks since I wrote an entry but here I am again. Tanner is dead. It's actually been a couple weeks since he died. It was just like what I saw in my nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, they are getting more erratic and more unpredictable. However, I do know a few things now. One, I'm not the only in my family to have these and two, my mother's family has more secrets than I may have given them credit for._
> 
> _My mother confessed to me two days ago that her mother was like me. She and my father came back the night after I followed my stupid instinct and found Tanner dead. Damon killed him, just like he did in my nightmarish vision. I wasn't alone, at least unlike in my vision. Unfortunately, it was Matt who found him first. He's not taking it well. The sheriff sent him to the town's only therapist and despite various sessions, he still doesn't look good. Sheriff tried to send me as well but my parents were there to vouch for my mental health._
> 
> _Just recently, Sheriff Forbes confirmed that the 'animal' responsible for the attacks was caught. That only means either two things. One, Damon Salvatore or another vampire was caught. Two, an actual animal was caught. The latter only meant one thing. Damon was here to stay and he was covering his tracks. I don't know why he would do something like this, maybe it's cause of Stefan or maybe it's cause of Elena Gilbert who looks so much like Katherine Pierce._
> 
> _Elena's resemblance to Katherine was a morbid surprise. I still don't know if what I saw was real or not. Till now, I could only see what is to come, not what has been, so it's possible I could have hallucinated being Lydia Fitzroy and dancing with Damon at the first founder's ball and being attacked by Elena's look alike. I don't know._
> 
> _The more I stay in Mystic Falls, the more questions I have. At least now I have some answers and a way to protect myself. The Bloodstone, it's better than vervain and seems to be undetectable._
> 
> _I have to go. The Founder's ball is tonight. Whether or not I really experienced being Lydia, does not matter. What matters is that history is not repeated. There should not be another 1864. I hope there won't be._
> 
> _\- Ava R. Fitzroy_

I shut my journal and put it in my bag. Striding to the foyer with Gina on my tail with the box of things to loan. I watched as Maria, another one of the maids opened the door. I nodded. "Tyler." I greeted, handing the box with the music box and hand mirror to him from Gina. "Be careful. They're fragile."

"I'll try." He easily took the box and nodded his thanks. "Ava. I wanted to apologize." He said, looking anywhere but at me.

"Apologize? For what." I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

"For being a dick to you and Matt." He took a sharp breath. "I also wanted to ask, how are you two after the whole-"

"We're fine. If you want, you can ask him tonight." I cut in, pushing through him to get out of the house. I turned around to tell Maria and Gina to lock the house, paying him no attention. "I don't know what your deal is but can you not be such a dick to Vicki and Matt."

"I'm trying. I really am." He retorted, coming to stand between me and mom's car. "I'm even gonna take Vicki to the Founder's Ball as my date." He looked at me in desperation.

"Have you actually asked her?"

"No, but-"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I cut him off again, pushing through him. "Look I have to go meet up with Bonnie and Caroline, we can finish this later." I stopped and turned around. "I'm not even the one you should be convincing. Matt is."

"Matt doesn't wanna see me or anyone for that matter. He's not even coming to the Founder's Ball."

I got into my mom's car. "Weird, cause he agreed to go with me to the Founder's ball." I called out before driving off.

* * *

Bonnie looked at Caroline in surprise. "You're taking Damon to the founder's party? What about me?" She questioned, walking with me and Caroline into the Grill.

"Go with Elena." Caroline said in her perky voice, sitting down at a table.

Bonnie looked at her betrayed. "She's asking Stefan." She retorted, sitting down opposite Caroline.

I took a seat next to Bonnie and looked at both of them, playing with my hair to pass the time. "Go with Ava, then." Caroline replied looking at me for help.

I glanced at Caroline to see her looking at me with her puppy dog eyes and moved to look at Bonnie who had a similar expression. "I'm going with Matt." Bonnie turned away from me and then turned back to give me a betrayed look. Saying nothing, I just shrugged. Caroline looked mildly impressed. "As friends." I added before she got the wrong idea.

She rolled her eyes."Okay, go by yourself." She said, turning back to Bonnie.

Bonnie fell back on to her chair in defeat. "Gee, thanks, guys. What about your mom? Is she okay with you bringing Damon?" She asked leaning towards Caroline.

"And I'm supposed to care why?"

"He's older sexy danger guy."

"Not to mention, he's new and no one knows who he even is. Stranger danger." I added, mimicking Bonnie.

Caroline scoffed. "Older sexy danger guy? Is that an official witch twitter tweet?" She turned to me with her eyebrow raised. "Stranger danger, really? Are we 8 or something?" I shrugged.

"No more witch jokes, okay? That whole Mr. Tanner prediction thing has me freaked." I nodded supportively at Bonnie's words.

Caroline glanced at me sympathetically. Everyone knew, Matt and I had not coped well after finding Tanner. Matt even more than me. "Okay. And Damon's not dangerous. You know, he just has a lot of issues with his brother. You know, like major, deep-rooted drama."

"Then he should go to therapy like normal people." I retorted.

"Well. He's not normal." Caroline defended herself.

I threw my hands in the air and then clasped them in front of me. "You're proving our point, Care."

"He has issues. Okay. Leave him alone" She tried again, adjusting her neck scarf. Dietary issues weren't the only issues he had.

"Like...?" Bonnie asked, suddenly curious.

"I'm not really supposed to say anything."

"Caroline Forbes, when have you ever kept a secret in your life?"

"Never." I added, nodding at Bonnie in support.

Caroline glared at both of us and glanced up. "Okay." She paused, leaning towards us. "But you guys can't tell Elena."

Bonnie and I glanced at each other before leaning in towards Caroline. "No." Bonnie whispered with a grin.

* * *

"Delicate flower vs. naughty vixen." Bonnie asked, holding up two bottles of nail polish while I just filed my nails.

I shrugged and pointed at the black nail polish while Elena looked at both. "Tough call. Can we mix them?" She said with a genuine smile on her face.

"Look at you, getting all pretty for your date. You seem happy-ish."

"I am...ish. Tonight's going to be a good night. But don't let that stop you from telling me whatever it is you wanted to tell me as soon as you walked in the door while Ava looked like she wanted to punch someone."

I gasped. "I do not have that face." I picked up the black nail polish and opened it. "And you don't need to worry about what Bonnie wanted to tell you."

"Okay so Bonnie's hiding something from me while you're covering for her. Gotcha." She stated with her eyebrow raised. "Bonnie spill."

"Bonnie." I warned.

Bonnie looked between both of us. "What if I tell you in the morning? I don't want to ruin the night." She stuttered out. Taking my hands and the nail polish, she started painting my nails.

I took my hands and looked at them. "Why don't we talk about something else?" I asked throwing my head back.

Elena ignored me and shook her head. "Bonnie, out with it."

"Okay, but it has to go in the vault, because Caroline will kill me if it gets back to Damon that she squealed. Apparently Stefan has a very interesting back story."

"Oh god. Here we go." I mumbled, putting my head down.

Elena just nodded in response and made a sound of understanding. She was clearly being sarcastic. "Do you know what happened with his ex-girlfriend Katherine?" Here we go again. I had not even met this Katherine and I already despised her. Seeing her, through my ancestor didn't really count. I think.

I rolled my eyes at Bonnie. "I know that they both dated her and that's why they have issues." Elena admitted, leaning forward on a chair.

"Yeah, they both dated her, only she chose Damon. And that drove Stefan mad, so he did horrible things to try and break them up. He manipulated Katherine. He filled her head with all these lies until finally it worked, and she turned against Damon." Bonnie went on, grabbing my hands and continuing to paint my nails.

"That sounds like one person's side of the story, meaning Damon's."

I raised my unpainted hands in annoyance. "That's literally what I said." I looked at both of them. "I don't know about you guys but Damon gives me the creeps."

"Really, Ava?" Bonnie asked skeptically. I simply shrugged.

Elena nodded. "I see where you're coming from." She leaned towards my nails, looking at their progress before walking off. She turned around to glance at Bonnie. "Anyway, Stefan's past relationships are none of my business."

"Unless he's a calculating, manipulative liar. That is your or anyone's business." Bonnie pointed out.

"Stefan is none of those things."

"Yeah? How do you know?"

"Bonnie." I hissed lowly. Bonnie gave me a look which told me she was doing what she thought was best for Elena. We all glanced at each other, deciding to drop the subject.

* * *

I sat in front of Elena's dressing table, combing my wavy hair. I took a pin from my makeup bag and pinned it to my left. Carefully, I pulled a few strands of my dark hair and started working on a waterfall braid. Off to side on the table, there was a rose-gold hairpin to secure my braid with.

Bonnie and Elena stood in front of Elena's bathroom mirror. "You sure, you don't wanna curl your hair." She asked, curling hers while Elena put some mascara on.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I replied, biting my lower lip in deep concentration. "Hey, could you or Elena come in and help me with this."

"A minute." Elena was the only one who replied. She crashed on to her bed and then walked over to me, helping me braid my hair. "Woah, you look good,"

I looked in the mirror. I looked decent. "Can you put this in the back?" I asked, handing her the rose-gold pin. She nodded and carefully pinned it to my hair.

"Elena, the phone." I called out, hearing a ringing.

She turned back to the bed and went over and picked up the phone. "Hello? Hi, Mrs. Lockwood. What do you mean? It is? Are you sure? 'Cause I saw it. Let me check. Mm-hmm. I will find it and bring it. Ok. Bye."

"What's wrong?" Bonnie and I asked at the same time.

Elena ignored us and barged into Jeremy's room. I got up from the dressing table and joined Bonnie in front of the bathroom mirror. I leaned a little to peek into Jeremy's room. I watched in shock as Elena slapped Jeremy who had his earphones on.

I continued watching for a second more before turning back to fussing over my hair like Bonnie was. But I was clearly listening in. Elena was arguing with Jeremy over the Gilbert watch. My eyes widened for a second. The Gilbert watch. My parents had talked about it before. I knew what it was and what it could really do. It was missing or so I thought for a second before I heard Jeremy take it out from somewhere and hand it back to Elena in anger. I breathed out in relief. If the Council had the watch, they wouldn't need to involve my family.

* * *

Cars were lined up in front of the Lockwood mansion while people stood in a long cue just to get inside the mansion. I fixed my red dress and stepped forward a little. I had decided to go with the off-shoulder chiffon dress. Elena and Stefan stood near the entrance of the mansion while Bonnie stood behind them with Jenna. I stood behind them. Matt stood next to me dressed in a black suit with a red shirt to match my dress.

He glanced at me. "I feel so out of place." He remarked, looking around. "I'm not even a Founding family member." He breathed out, running a hand through his blond hair.

"Relax." I grinned. "You're overreacting. It doesn't matter if you're not one of them. What matters is that we have a great time." I whispered to him. "God knows, we deserve it."

Matt laughed lightly at my optimism and leaned towards me. "I'll take your word for it. Remember to be my shield when Carol even looks at me." He commented. "Are you proud of me?" He suddenly asked as we took a step forward.

Confused, I slightly turned to look at him. "Proud of what?" I asked, tilting my head.

"I'm getting over Elena like you and everyone else wanted me to." He replied.

I smiled brightly and gave his arm a squeeze in happiness. "That's great. I'm so happy for you. You're one step closer to being happy."

We both turned to look at each other and say something when we were interrupted. I looked up to see Carol Lockwood smiling politely at us. We had reached the entrance without even paying.

"Ava, I'm so glad you made it." She reached to hug me and personally invite me in. She turned to Matt, inspecting him carefully before nodding in approval and taking a step back. "Matt, I see you are accompanying Ava tonight." She took a sip of her drink. Matt smiled in relief that Carol hadn't insulted him or his family. "A fine choice. Shame Tyler can't make the same sensible choices as you."

Oh no, my eyes moved to look at Matt from the side. His face had hardened for a second. "I appreciate the sentiment but Tyler and I are two different people. It's impossible for us to make the same choices." He retorted, taking a glass of a non-alcoholic drink that was offered to us.

Carol considered Matt's words before smiling tightly. "Then I suppose, it's not too much to ask that he doesn't make the choice of dating your sister." Carol mumbled under her breath before moving on to greet the other guests.

The glass in Matt's hands almost shattered as his grip tightened on it. "Matt." I called out, taking his cracked glass and replacing it with a new one. I glanced around quickly to make sure no one had seen that. "Don't let her get to you." I looked at him. "She's only saying that to get under your skin."

Matt nodded and took a swing of the drink, finishing it one go. "I know. Rosy, but I can't help it." He paused, walking deeper into the mansion. I followed, next to him. "It's not just her though. It's everyone! I mean, your family doesn't count in that everyone and Sheriff Forbes I guess but y'know what I mean." He turned to me, to give me a look. I just nodded in understanding, choosing to listen instead of saying anything. "Everyone looks at me as this tragic hero or victim. I don't know, something along those lines." He stopped, looking out into the huge back garden. His eyes looked to be focused on a couple. I moved closer to him to get a better look.

"Vicki. And Tyler." I stated, looking at the girl in bright sunshine yellow talk happily with a boy in grey suit. From a distance, they looked happy but Matt and I knew this wasn't true.

"Vicki." Matt repeated, breathing out. "Then they see Vicki, they start pitying me for having a wreck of a sister. A poor excuse of a mother and a deadbeat dad who abandoned his kids." He remarked sadly, grabbing another drink from one of the trays. This time, it was alcoholic.

I took the drink and put it back on another tray. "Don't. You're not that person." I grabbed his hands with mine. "You're not just your family, you're what you make of yourself so stop moping. You promised me, we'd have fun." I dragged him back inside. "Stop worrying about Vicki and what people think of you and let's have some fun. God I sound like Caroline."

* * *

Night had fallen and the whole mansion was filled with people. All were important people in the town. A good majority were founding family descendants like me and the rest were their dates or plus ones or just people who were important to the town. Everyone who was anyone in this town had had all flocked to this Mansion to display their wealth, achievements or their ancestors wealth and achievements.

The ball was the first I had attended and it was different from the first one. The one I had attended through Lydia. I was a little disappointed about that. Ignoring that feeling, I had dragged Matt to look at the heritage display. Matt pointed at my family's display and asked me questions on it. "I just noticed. This is actually older than our town." He pointed to the music box. "Well, it's older than America itself."

"Yeahh, it's cause my family were British." I replied, sensing Stefan nearby. "Well, my dad's side is anyway. They were related to royalty or something."

"Royalty?" Stefan's voice suddenly cut in. Matt and I turned around to see Elena come in after and stand in front of the 'first registry'.

I nodded. "Mom's south asian. Unrelated to the town. I look like her well her mom apparently. Thankfully. No offence to my dad or anything." I added. Elena grinned at me, no doubt ready to tease me.

Elena opened and closed her mouth, choosing to lean closer to the registry. "The founding families in Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural founder's council celebration." She started. " Wow, look, it's the original guest registry. Look at all these familiar names—Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood, Doctor James Fitzroy. Is that Damon Salvatore? And, Stefan Salvatore?" Elena questioned, a little shocked.

"Huh. Damon and Stefan Salvatore? Like you and your brother." Matt asked, stepping towards Stefan.

Stefan looked at loss for words. A thick fog of tension settled into the room. He looked at me in desperation, in an attempt for help. I wanted to glare at him. I wanted nothing to do with this. "The original Salvatore brothers. Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually." Damon's snarky and annoying voice interrupted us.

I turned to see Damon and Caroline walk in and stand in front of us. "We don't need to bore them with stories of the past." Stefan cut in, stopping any attempts of Damon.

Elena looked at Stefan expectedly. "It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family." I loved Elena but sometimes she was stupid. Matt seemed to sense this.

"Y'know, Elena. He might not be comfortable with sharing." Matt defended Stefan. I looked at Matt in surprise. He had just defended Stefan.

Looking at him, I quickly picked up on what he was doing and tried to get Damon to drop the subject. "Just cause it's a celebration of the past doesn't mean we have to bring it up." I paused to take a sip of my drink. "Sometimes it's best to leave things behind." I finished, smiling sweetly at Damon.

Damon grinned. And I watched as he lightly nudged Caroline. Her eyes became unfocused for a second. "Well, I'm bored. I want to dance. And Damon won't dance with me." She said pouting, being back to normal. "Could I just borrow your date?" She asked.

Elena hesitated answering Caroline. "I don't really dance." Stefan tried to excuse himself, looking at me and Matt for help again.

Damon noticed this and stopped us before we could act. "Oh, sure he does. You should see him. Waltz, the jitterbug, the moonwalk. He does it all."

"Maybe he just doesn't wanna dance with Caroline, you ever thought of that." I lightly commented, taking another sip of my drink. Damon glared at me in turn, unimpressed.

"Maybe you need to stop being mean." He retorted, grabbing my drink and drinking it. We all looked at him in shock. "Caroline just wants to dance." He grinned, almost threateningly.

Caroline took that as a cue. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Elena?" She demanded this time.

"It's up to Stefan."

Caroline tilted her head and grabbed Stefan. "Well sorry, but I'm not going to take no for an answer." She retorted, dragging him to the dance floor.

I watched annoyed as Stefan threw one last fleeting look at Elena. Turning to Damon, I glared at him, he simply smiled innocently in response. He was doing it again, he was trying to separate Elena and Stefan again. "Well, why don't you and your partner go dance as well." Damon offered, pretending to be kind.

"Matt." Matt looked uninterested as he said his name. "My name is Matt. Matt Donovan."

"Damon Salvatore but you probably knew." Damon greeted back, smirking. "You're Elena's ex..." He glanced at me. "And you're here with one of her best friends."

"As friends." Elena and I said at the same time. "Matt and I are here as friends. I know it's hard for you to believe cause y'know. Your issues." I repeated, adding his relationship issues in for extra effect. Matt and Elena looked at me with wide eyes, shocked at my lack of filter. I mean they knew I was like this. I'm not sure why they are surprised.

Damon said nothing and simply nodded. He was clearly getting agitated and wanted to be alone with Elena. I turned to Matt. "Hey, can you get me another drink?" I asked in a soft voice. Damon watched me closely.

Matt made no move instead he looked at Damon with a hardened expression. He didn't trust him with me and Elena. I didn't blame him. "I think I'm cutting you off." He said with a grin.

I giggled to ease the tension. "I didn't even drink any of the alcoholic drinks." I turned to look at him with puppy dog eyes. "Please?" He didn't move. I looked at him, a little annoyed. "Matt, please get me a drink." I tried again.

His blue eyes flickered to amber for a second before he blinked and they were back to blue again. Damon watched with narrowed eyes as Matt turned to me with a blank look. "I'm going to go get you a drink." He stated, and walked away. There it was again, that same blank look. Thinking nothing of it, I turned back to look at Elena and Damon. Elena was too busy looking at the registry, trying her best to ignore Damon, who to my surprise was still staring at me curiously.

Damon turned his gaze away from me and looked at Elena again. "I want to apologize to you for being such a world-class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you. There's no excuse. My therapist says I'm...acting out, trying to punish Stefan." I looked at him shocked. He really tried to kiss Elena. Well, at least I knew he had a therapist now.

Elena gave me a look saying that she would talk about it later and turned away from the registry. "For what?" She asked.

"It's all in the past. I don't even want to bring it up. Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry. And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers."

"If it's in the past, then why constantly bring it up?" I questioned out loud. Damon glanced at me, annoyed.

Damon ignored and started doing what I called him out on. "The Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town. Until the war. There was a battle here—" He started practically bragging.

Elena glanced at me, already done with Damon. "The Battle of Willow Creek." She cut in, wanting to get away from him.

"Right."

"We know, we talked about it in class. Confederate soldiers fired on a church with civilians inside."

"What the history books left out was the people that were killed. They weren't there by accident. They were believed to be union sympathizers. So some of the founders on the confederacy side back then wanted them rounded up and burned alive. Stefan and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church. And when they went to rescue them, they were shot. Murdered in cold blood."

"They went to save one when they could've saved them all. Sounds foolish and stupid to me." I mumbled. I knew this story by heart. They weren't really union sympathizers in that church. My family were strong Union loyalists, if anything they too would be rounded off that night. And I would not be standing here. No, they were not union loyalists, they were vampires. Just like Damon. But I couldn't say all of this out loud not without putting myself in danger.

"Who was in the church that they wanted to save?" Elena questioned, ignoring me.

"A woman, I guess. Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?

"And sibling rivalry over a girl is never the way to go, Mr Salvatore." I commented quietly, moving near him with a teasing grin. Damon's eyes widened for a second. I cursed myself for addressing him that way. I guess I had probably picked up Lydia's habits by accident.

"What if that girl is worth it." He whispered back.

"No one is worth getting in between your family." I paused. "Especially if you have a brother like Stefan, someone who would seems to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of others."

Elena glanced at both of us. She took a step back and grabbed my arm, bringing me with her. "Look, I'm sorry that you and Stefan have this thing between you, but I can't get in the middle of it, Damon. I just...I hope you two can work it out."

"I hope so, too." Damon replied with a nostalgic look on his face. I almost pitied him for a second. Neither Katherine or Elena picked him. But Elena wasn't Katherine, she made her choice clear from the start.

"Elena, I'm gonna go check on Bonnie, I think Stefan's probably done too." I reminded her, hoping that she would get the message. To my relief, she got the message and quietly followed. Unfortunately, Damon offered to escort her back to Stefan. I said nothing and just nodded along.

* * *

The cool night breeze gently blew across my face as I walked through the decorated Lockwood garden. Matt walked next to me, ranting about how Vicki had decided to leave last minute. He was back to normal. Now and then, I would check his eyes for that glow. But it wasn't there each time. I felt bad now for using Matt as a guinea pig. At the same time, I knew this wasn't my fault. Whatever was happening was out of my control.

"-And she's probably gone to Elena's to go see Jeremy. Honestly, you were right. She needs to stop going back and forth." I focused back onto Matt for a second, again to see if there were any changes to him since that weird moment back then. No changes. "Ava, you listening?" He stopped a little ahead of me, turning around to look at me.

"Yeahh. Um. You were saying-" I started.

Matt gave me a look of concern. "It doesn't matter." He cut me off, unbuttoning his shirt sleeve and folded it. "Is everything okay?" He asked, walking closer. "You've been out of it. You can tell me if I'm bothering you. I feel like I just complain and just do nothing while you do everything for everyone, I guess."

"That's not true. You guys have done a lot for me. It's just been a long night." I replied, softly. I loosened my braid and ran my fingers through it to straighten it. "I'm sorry if I seem out of it. I haven't been getting enough sleep. I'll see you later, then." I added, pushing past him to go find Bonnie. She would know what I'm going through. Besides, I didn't want to accidentally use 'that' against Matt again.

Walking away, Matt didn't try to stop me. But I knew he was worried for me. And I didn't want to add to his worries. Vicki was already on top of all his concerns, if I started talking about my problems which were mostly supernatural, he wouldn't have a peace of mind for a moment. I decided then and there, that unless it absolutely concerned him, I wouldn't bring any of my friends into this mess especially Matt, Caroline and Elena. Right now, Caroline was my biggest concern.

* * *

Bonnie and I sat on an elegant couch inside, leaning against each other. She turned to me and grabbed my hands. "I need to tell you something but you can't freak out." She started. "When I was outside, I accidentally lit a candle."

"With a match?" I questioned. I already knew where this was heading.

She shook her head and breathed out. "No. It was with my mind." She whispered. "It was probably a fluke or something but I just wanted to let someone know. So I don't go nuts." There was a look of desperation in her eyes. "I'm not crazy. Right? Grams keeps saying I'm a witch but the after the whole Tanner thing. I don't know anymore."

I bit my lips. I was torn on whether I should keep whatever was going to myself or tell Bonnie something to relate to. I shut my eyes and opened them again, making a decision. "You're not crazy." I declared. "I actually have something to say as well." Bonnie perked up and leaned towards me. "Tanner's death. I saw it. And before you say, 'Ava, you and Matt found his body'. I'm gonna stop you there." I took in a deep breath. "I saw his death a few days before it happened, in a..." I swallowed. "...a dream and it wasn't the first time, I saw something like that."

Bonnie said nothing for a while. The silence between us became deafening. I wanted to ask her to say something when she glanced at me. "Like when we were kids..." She started quietly. "You used to have these dreams about accidents and events. I remember now. You still have them. Oh my God!" She hugged me, rubbing my back. "I can't even imagine what you've seen." Pulling back, she grabbed my hands. "I know this is selfish of me to say this but I'm glad that I have someone like me. Do you mind if I tell Grams, she's probably gonna say you're a witch but-"

"I'm not a witch." I cut her off. "Your Grams actually saw me before I left the first time around and she said I wasn't one."

Bonnie's sudden happiness deflated in an instant with my words. "What are you then?" She asked, almost scared.

Before I could answer, Elena crashed into me with a hug. Bonnie looked at me, indicating that our conversation was over. I understood and nodded in reply before propping up a welcoming grin. We both turned to look at Elena who had now let go of me and moved to sit beside me. I scooted over closer to Bonnie to make room for her.

"Well, my night just went good to bad in an instant." Elena started, taking off her heels.

"Oh no. What happened?" I asked, putting my loose hair behind my shoulders.

"Stefan. Damon. And their ex. But mostly Stefan." She replied, looking at Bonnie and me.

Bonnie and I glanced at each other. "Wait. Before we get into this. We need something." I got up and went over to one of the waiters and asked for some ice cream for three. I waited for a few minutes before the waiter came back with a huge bowl of ice cream and some spoons. I thanked him with a sincere smile and went back to sit in between Bonnie and Elena. "Okay, now we can talk."

Bonnie took a spoon and shoved some ice cream into her mouth. She flinched back at the coldness a little before taking another spoonful, Elena and I followed soon after. "This is my fault. I planted doubt. I'm a doubt planter."

"It's not your fault. I just—I feel terrible because I said that I wouldn't get in the middle of it, and then that's exactly what I did. I got all snotty."

"Well, you had a point though. You wouldn't get all 'snotty' if Stefan wasn't so freaking secretive. Like that's hot and all for a few seconds but in a long term relationship, you need trust." I took another spoonful of ice cream. "—But playing the devil's advocate here." Bonnie groaned. "Don't make that sound. I'm just saying that maybe Stefan has a good reason to be secretive. For all you know this 'ex' could be a psychopath—talking about her is traumatic for Stefan."

Elena contemplated my words carefully. Stefan did have a good reason and I wasn't exactly lying. From what I saw as Lydia, Katherine seemed like a narcissistic bitch who wanted everything. Before she could reply, Carol interrupted us. "Elena, honey, there you are. I notice the watch still isn't in the collection." She said, taking a seat next to Elena on an armchair.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, Mrs. Lockwood. I, um, I couldn't find it. I guess it's still packed up in my parents' stuff somewhere." Elena apologized, putting down the spoon.

"I see. Well, please let me know if you do find it."

Elena fidgeted a little before replying. "OK." Carol nodded, unconvinced and got up and left. Neither of us said anything after that.

* * *

Staring at my reflection in front of the mirrors of the bathroom in the Lockwood mansion, I grabbed my hair and it up in a ponytail. Securely, tying it up, I stepped back. I tilted my head and took out my lipgloss, reapplying it. I stepped back again to admire myself in the mirror. Suddenly, someone tackled me from behind. I looked in the mirror to see it was a blonde. _Caroline._ "Hey. I forgot to say but you looked so good today." She gushed, stepping back to stand next to me in front of the mirror.

I stepped away from the mirror to stand on the other side of Caroline. "Well, you don't look too bad yourself, Care."

Caroline made a face, before starting to fix her hair. "Don't lie. I look like a mess. I don't know why Damon picked blue. It's not even my color."

"You look better in yellow or any other bright colors." I commented lightly.

"Thank you! I said this to Damon and he said it was 'jaundice'. Can you believe him?"

"Caroline..." I started, wanting to know what else Damon had been saying to her when Elena cut in.

"Ava, you in here?" Elena's voice rang from outside.

"Yeah." I called out.

Hearing my instant reply she walked in, slowing down when she saw Caroline. Awkward. I forgot that these two were on thin ice right now. I silently cursed my luck for always being stuck in awkward situations which could easily be avoided.

"Hey." Elena greeted Caroline awkwardly, coming to stand next to her in front of the mirror.

Caroline looked unaffected. "Hey. So how are things with Stefan?" She instantly asked without hesitation.

"Great. Just great." Elena replied, opening her purse and taking out a lip gloss. She awkwardly applied it while glancing at me to do something. I just shrugged. It wasn't that bad, honestly. Elena sometimes had a tendency to overreact.

"Really? Well, my radar must be off, 'cause I was getting all sorts of other vibes…"

"Caroline." I cut her off. "Not your place." I hissed. Sometimes, she really had no filter. She was worse than me at times. 

Elena leaned away from the mirror to look at Caroline, ready to shut her up when she paused. Her eyes focused on something on Caroline's neck. "What is that?" She asked in concern.

"What's what?" I asked, coming around to Elena's side to get a look at Caroline's neck.

"There's something on Caroline's neck." Elena replied.

Caroline looked at us both annoyed before going back to fussing over her appearance. Elena tried to lift her scarf up. "Don't!" She said, pushing Elena's hand away with her shoulders. Ignoring Caroline, Elena lifted her scarf up and there it was. A big bad bite mark.

"Oh my god. Caroline." "Oh god, Caroline, what happened?" Elena and I said at the same time.

Caroline glared at us and tried to pass it off as nothing had happened. "Nothing, okay?!"

"That is not nothing! Did somebody hurt you?" Elena asked in concern, silently asking me to get my emergency first aid kit out.

"No, okay, nothing. It just...My mom would kill me."

"It was Damon, wasn't it?" I asked quietly from a side.

Elena glanced at me in shock before turning back to look at Caroline. "Did Damon hurt you?" She questioned, pulling Caroline's crochet cardigan off. She grabbed Caroline.

"No! Of course not! Just leave me alone. Okay?! You guys need to back off." She burst out, trying to leave the bathroom. I stopped her and turned her around to face Elena.

I rummaged through my bag for my emergency first aid kit. I took it out and passed it to Elena who quickly started to find the supplies needed to treat Caroline. "Stay here and help Care." I called out to Elena.

I had enough, Damon went too far. He could have easily healed her and made sure that no one saw but he deliberately left them there to hurt her. "Where are you going?" She called out to me, trying to stop me.

"To give that bastard a piece of my mind." Caroline started protesting in Elena's grips, trying to stop me, she grabbed on to my wrist. "Caroline, this is for your good. Stay here and let Elena help you."

Caroline's blue-green eyes flickered to amber for a second like Matt's did and she nodded before she let go and turned back to Elena who didn't even notice what had happened. I breathed out in disbelief and walked out. This wasn't normal, not even by my standards.

* * *

I all but ran outside in my high heels, trying to find Damon. He was outside, under the makeshift gazebo, the Lockwoods had erected for this occasion. I scoffed, he was trying to blend in. I saw him as what he really was, a monster. I stalked towards him and he grinned like he was proud of his actions.

"Ava, I don't know if I have complimented you but you look really-" I slapped him, cutting him. Breathing in and out to calm myself. I stepped back and calmed myself before using my other hand to slap his other cheek. "What was that for?" He asked, mildly annoyed. I knew that the slaps wouldn't have hurt him, not with his fast healing but it was something for me to get my anger out.

"You know exactly what that was for." I retorted, folding my arms around my chest. "You're sick, y'know that? You probably do or you wouldn't have done that to Caroline." His face hardened at the mention of Caroline's name. "I'm telling the Sheriff. Her mother." I added, walking away from him.

I didn't get far before Damon, walked up to me and turned me around. "You're not gonna do any of that." He paused. "In fact, you're not even gonna remember this conversation." He tried to compel me, his eyes dilated and he pushed my stray hairs back.

I slapped him again. I was getting tired of pretending. The bloodstone necklace felt warm against my chest, ignoring that feeling, I glared at him hard. "There is something wrong with you. And you have the nerve to ask me to forget." I spat out.

"So you know." He said slowly, killing the distance between us. "You know what I am." He smirked.

My blood froze. I was so busy trying to defend Caroline that I accidentally almost exposed myself. "All I know is that you're an abusive bastard who just so happens to be dating one of my best friends." I lied, staring into his storm blue eyes. "Go see a therapist or something for your issues but don't take it out on Caroline" I added. "You're not normal." I repeated, trying to get away from him. "Stay away from Caroline." I tried.

Damon's eyes flicked to an amber color for a second. He blinked and it was gone. "Ha." He breathed out. "You're not normal, either." He stated with a smirk that for the first time scared me. It didn't work. That thing I did, didn't work on him and he knew I was trying to do something. He pushed a strand of my hair behind my ears and grabbed my face into his hands. "So what are you?"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Elena run out of the same door, I had come in through but instead of going to Damon, she walked straight to Stefan.

I swallowed my fear and pushed him away from me. "What I am..." I breathed out. "...Is not important. What's important is you staying away from Caroline." I demanded, walking away, leaving him in the distance.

* * *

I walked back into the Mansion to find Caroline and Elena. They were gone. I didn't know where. And this place was big enough as it was. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. I wanted to see if I could repeat what happened at the night of Tanner's death and the night of the comet. That time, my instinct led me to Matt and Vicki when they were in danger. A cold chill took over my body. I felt like I had to go outside.

Knowing where to go now, I undid the straps of my heels and put on unrolled some ballet flats from my bag. I carried the heels in my hand as I walked on the lawn, following my instinct.

"-Caroline, what happened?" I heard Elena's voice echo through the garden.

"Caroline? Elena?" I called out.

"Over here." Elena called out to me. I carefully walked over to her. She handed me my first aid kit with her free hand.

I took it without a word. "Hey, you don't look so good." I touched her arm, gently turning her around to face us.

"I'm fine." She forced out with a broken smile while shaking. "I'm fine." She repeated with more conviction, trying to convince us.

Elena shook her head in disbelief. "No. You're shaking. Caroline—What—"

"I'm fine!" She repeated again, starting to hyperventilate.

"No, you're not. Oh my god. What did he—" I shook my head.

Elena glanced at me, worry for Caroline etched on to her face. "Caroline, come here, come here." She called out to her, grabbing my arm. Elena and I engulfed Caroline into a hug as she started to break down. What had Damon done to her? This wasn't the Caroline I grew up with. She was a shell of a girl now.


	6. Devil You Don't Know

Chapter 5: Devil You Don't Know

* * *

Watching the sun rise from the balcony of my bedroom, I brought the light pink mug to my lips. The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air, comforting me. It was a small comfort after my parents had abruptly left. They decided to go back after the Council kept hounding them to help just because they didn't get the Gilbert watch. I puffed my cheeks and blew some air out. It wasn't fair. I liked my uncle, don't get me wrong but I missed my mom and dad. I even missed my brother, Dan. I tried to remember the last time I had seen him. The funeral. It was at the funeral of my grandmother Janine. After the funeral, he was the first to leave. He didn't have a choice. He had classes to get back to. The voice in my head pointed out.

Taking a sip of my warm drink, I breathed out in relief. It was a good day, despite my shortcomings. It was a good day. I hoped it would be a great week. I took out my phone from my dressing gown.

_5:45 AM_

It was too early. I went to bed early and for the first time in my life I had a dreamless sleep. I still had plenty of time till school started. In the time I had left, I decided to go and shower. It took me about half an hour to shower. My wet hair, wrapped in my soft lilac towel, I walked over to my closet to pick out the outfit for today. A black short sleeved turtleneck with a red plaid skirt paired with some knee high black socks and heeled ankle boots. Obviously, the bloodstone necklace was there. I hardly ever went without it these days. I decided to go with a simple outfit today.

Putting on some light makeup and with red lip gloss, I looked over the mirror. A ponytail would look good, I decided. Deciding not to straighten my wavy mahogany hair, I grabbed a hair band and put my hair up. Giving myself a once over, I walked downstairs.

Gina and Maria along with the butler Robert greeted me downstairs. "Today's breakfast is pancakes with fruit and whip cream, Miss." Gina said, leading me to the dining room. The dining room was lit up with the morning rays of the sun, dying the room in a bright glow of light. I nodded at Gina and thanked her. I handed her the coffee mug. She smiled brightly and walked off, going back to the kitchen.

I took a seat where my plate of food had been put. The seat was opposite Uncle Nate's who stared at his phone intently. "Council meeting?" I asked, grabbing a knife and fork. Uncle Nate shook his head. I said nothing for a while, choosing to focus on my food. "Jenna?" I asked again, this time carefully.

"I'm actually over Jenna." He retorted. I looked at him shocked. "Yeah. It was shocking me too." He shoved a bite of pancake into his mouth. "Logan Fell coming back made me realize, I don't really like Jenna like that. It's kind of awkward having a thing for your best friend-"

"-You never really liked her, you were confused." I added. "Blurred lines." I said, picking the glass full of water and taking a sip. "You sure it has nothing to do with Meredith calling you last night?"

"Exactly. And no." He raised his fork up and waved it at me. "Anyways, I'm actually expecting a call from Whitmore about transferring out."

I raised my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes. "You're transferring out? This late?"

"Actually I requested it in the beginning of summer, they only got back to me yesterday." He stared at his phone and took a bite of his breakfast. "Duke already accepted me and even let me carry on my course from where I had left it off in Whitemore-"

"-Duke? You're transferring to Duke? It's a little...different." I said.

"It's where I wanted to go, if I wasn't following Jenna at the time-" He cut himself off when his phone rang. Seeing that he was going to be busy for a while, I picked up my now empty plate and headed to the kitchen. "Um. Sorry, could you hold for a second." I heard my uncle Nate's voice as I stood by the sink, washing my plate. "Ava, heads up. Your mom left her car in your name. The keys are out at the front." He whisper-yelled before going back to whatever he was doing.

* * *

Art class ended in a blur. Mrs Saunders with her eccentric dyed-black hair with blue streaks approached me, bouncing on her feet as she did so. She was a thin middle-aged woman who lived and breathed art, taking over the position of art teacher when her father retired. "Ms. Fitzroy, lovely work as usual…" She started, peering over at my canvas. "... _Though it's a little morbid."_

Staring at my canvas, I could see why she would say that. The canvas was a combination of red, browns and different shades yellow used to depict a man's flesh being peeled off, all done in acrylic. I don't know what drove me to paint this. The theme was dreams. Not nightmares. "I'm sorry, . I messed up the theme and made it morbid, more of a nightmare than a dream." I apologized.

" _Yes, you did."_ She sneered. She peered closer at the sketchpad in my hand, which depicted a plan with whimsical fairies and pixies and compared it to the canvas in front of me. _"Where did she go wrong? Talent is there. Though her focus needs work."_ stepped back and smiled at me. "No worries."

"I don't know where I went wrong. I really don't." I replied. "And you're right, I need to focus more. It's just that I've been on the edge lately" I added. Looking up, I glanced at her. She looked confused for a second before shifting back to a placid smile.

_"I didn't say all of that out loud. How did she-"_ I raised my eyebrows at her. The words were there but her lips were not moving at all. My eyes widened at this. I dropped the detail paint brush to the floor. I was in the middle of drying it. "Ms. Fitzroy, are you okay?" She asked, leaning over me in concern. I nodded but kept quiet. _"Poor girl, she still hasn't recovered from finding William's corpse."_ Again the words were there but it was like they were in my head because her lips were not moving.

Slowly, I turned my head to the rest of the class. Almost ignoring , I focused my gaze on them. My classmates still hadn't left. Everyone was still preparing to leave, putting their palettes and paint brushes away, some by the sink washing their hands, some taking off their paint-stained aprons and putting them away. They were all quiet, no chatter among them, nothing. Everyone wanted to get out, fast. The only sounds were that of the taps, the shuffling easels, chairs and people moving.

My eyes narrowed slightly as I looked at them. All of sudden, a bunch of voices attacked me. _"Great I need to come back and finish this off, maybe she'll assign this as homework..." "Justin totally ruined my favorite shirt." "Blue. I should've used blue." "I knew Maya was right, it was too dark." "Student Council meeting, I'm gonna be late." "Can't believe Elena and Stefan are dating..." "I see Ava's getting the star treatment again, must be nice to be a founder's kid." "Have to call mom after-"_ I turned away and looked at my canvas in silent horror.

_"Is she having a panic attack? I hope not. I guess I can't reassign this as homework now. Maybe I should put her up for counseling…"_ I don't know what was going on. I focused hard on the canvas to block out everyone, even. All of sudden, it stopped. Like nothing happened in the first place, all the voices were replaced by the now almost empty art classroom.

I took off my apron, hanging it on the hook behind me. I thanked myself for already washing up. "Sorry, about today. I don't know what's going with me today. I'll redo this according…" Grabbing my sketchbook, still opened to the plan, I gestured to it. "...to this, for homework. Since I screwed up the classwork." I finished, gathering my things.

Mrs. Saunders nodded, taking away my canvas and putting it away for drying in another room. She went in and quickly came back with another set of canvas of the same length. I watched her in silence as she carried all those canvases and lay them out on her table. She took out a pencil and scribbled something on the back. "I've marked yours and everyone else's canvas with their names. So you can come collect after school." She smiled, pleased. "Though, if you don't feel like it, you don't have to do it."

I slung my black bag over my shoulders, walking close to the door. "It's fine, really. I'll manage." I said, convincingly. She gave me a look of pity. _"Such a strong girl."_ I visibly flinched at her thoughts. She sounded patronizing. Choosing to not retort, I just threw her one last painted smile and walked out the door.

Walking out, I was stopped by Dana. Dana was a pretty girl who was on both the cheerleading team and the student council. The student council. I mentally chastised myself for forgetting all about it. "Did you forget?" Dana asked me in a harsh tone. She flinched a little and quickly changed her tone. "I'm sorry, I meant. 'Hey, Ava. Did the 'student body president' forget about the meeting.' That's what I meant." She added, sarcastically.

I shook my head. "Mrs Saunders kept me behind." I simply replied with a shrug. I straightened my red plaid skirt and followed her as she led me to the meeting spot in the library. Well actually, it was a separate room behind the library. "So what's on the agenda for the first meeting of the year?' I asked, fixing my ponytail. It matched the simplicity of my outfit. It was cute. Caroline all but gushed about my outfit today, making me feel a little proud of myself.

"I'm in the same art class, y'know?" I nodded. I knew she was. I read her mind a few minutes ago. "Well anyways, Caroline suggested a car wash with proceeds going to Mr Tanner's memory or something like that, the art club wanted to hold an exhibition, the music and drama club want to work together for an annual play or something…" Dana started, counting the thing on her fingers. She was the student Vice President. We were both elected after Tanner's death meant there were no big campaign runs, instead the teachers asked us to pick who the students thought were the best from the candidates. Surprise, I came first with Dana being second.

"Is that all?" I questioned. We had reached the meeting room. At a glance, I could see from the little viewing window that almost everyone was there already.

Dana nodded, about to open the door but stopping herself. "Actually, I should warn you. Caroline is gonna be there. Along with Tiki." I rolled my eyes and groaned. Caroline was manageable but Tiki was another story. She wasn't bad but sometimes she could be a little bit of a bitch. "Funny, that was my exact reaction. Caroline, could've picked Bonnie Bennett or Elen-" She stopped herself. "Right, forgot. Elena's not on the team anymore."

We both opened the door and went in. All eyes were on us. I admit, it wasn't a good look for the student body president and the vice president being late. I did a scan of the room to see who else was there apart from Caroline and Tiki. As mentioned by Dana, there were a few members of the drama club and music club sat next to each other with labels of their clubs in front of them.

I noticed the tables were arranged in a rectangular shape. There were about four long tables arranged like a 'E' missing the middle line while one opposite long table was connected to the first table. The head of the 'E'. The room was also decorated with awards and medals along with some old pictures of students that clearly didn't fit the main display case in the hallway.

"Finally, they're here." Tiki blew out, clearly annoyed at having to wait. Caroline gave a tight smile to Tiki to tell her to shut up. It seemed to work as Tiki slumped back on to her seat.

"Sorry, we're late-" I started.

Dana stood next to me. "-We got held up by Mrs. Saunders." She added leading me to the head of the seating arrangement. A center table. The head of the strange 'E'-like shape, I noticed.

I nodded with a painted smile. I clasped my hands, walking to my seat. Dana sat on my right while the treasurer, a boy named 'Will' sat on my left. He was blond with thin-wire glasses. Tall and skinny. That was the best way to describe him. "Right. Let's start this meeting." Will stated.

Immediately papers began to shuffle. Dana, Will and I flinched back at the sounds of aggressive shuffling. "Who wants to go first?" Dana started.

Caroline's hand shot up, fast. "As the stand-in head of the event's committee, it's only appropriate I go first." She said with a grin. I noticed the music and drama club leaders rolled their eyes at her. _"Here she goes..."_ I thought I heard someone say. I wanted to laugh but stopped myself when I realized no one had said anything. Caroline glanced around. "No objections." She giggled. "Right. I. No, we the cheer team and the football team were thinking of a charity car wash in honor of our recently departed who we all knew as…" Caroline paused. _"...the most annoying person ever."_ She thought but instead of saying that, she didn't. Not wanting to take that away from her point. "..the history teacher and the coach of the Timberwolves." She finished with a somber look.

I blinked. "Thank you for that... suggestion, Caroline." I turned to look at the room. "Anyone else?" The drama club leader leaned into the center and put her hand up.

"Yes…" I called out. _"Heather."_

She smiled politely and fixed her hair. "It's Heather." She answered.

"Heather." I repeated, nodding. "Right, what do you have?"

"Actually it's 'we', Josh…" She gestured to the table next to us. A boy with strawberry blond hair and face full of freckles nodded at her. "...and I were thinking with our clubs that we should put on a play for the school."

"It's actually school tradition." Josh added.

"Really?" I asked. Dana and Will just nodded their heads. Will taking notes of all the things that were being said.

"It's not limited to the drama club and music club. We've asked the dance club to also join us." She continued. _"I hope she doesn't make us include them. I only asked them to be nice. Emily is so annoying. I'd die if I had to work with her. But Greg is gonna be there as well…"_

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the invading voices. "Do you have a plan for when you want this to happen?" Dana asked, taking out her own notebook to write notes in. _"They don't have a plan. I just know they don't."_ Following her, I did the same, taking out a notebook and a pen.

"Well, we were thinking Winter?" Josh answered. _"Shit. We should've thought this through."_

Will leaned forward, he glanced at me and I nodded. "Any particular month or day." Josh hesitated. "We thought so. How about November. We can't give you December because of the holidays. October, because of Halloween." Will replied before either Heather or Josh could reply.

Josh and Heather looked at each other for a moment. "We'll do mid-November." They answered at the same time. I nodded, taking down notes. _"Damn, I wanted Christmas."_

"We'll consider this." I said, not looking at them but at the calendar in front of the three of us. "Next." I clicked my pen.

"It's us." Erica from the art club answered. She was a familiar face. I only knew her cause I was part of that club as well. She was a Japanese American girl who had only moved to town a few years back and was actually from California. I watched in silence as she pushed her dyed blonde hair back and looked at me expectedly. She wanted me to accept whatever she was planning.

"Well…" She started in a perky voice that almost mimicked Caroline's. She shuffled a few papers. Kevin, also another member jumped in to help her. "Oh here it is." She held up what looked like a blueprint. "Ava, you've probably seen this." She said looking at me. "But for the other members. Chad, Dana, Jeff, Aimee, Will and Caroline." She recited all the names of all the members. "I present to you. An art exhibition." She gestured to the plan in her hand. "Parents and everyone else in town are going to be invited to this exhibition. Artwork will be done by students. Anyone can submit. Photography is also accepted. The photography club already agreed to helping us, as well." She finished, sitting back down. "So? What do you guys think?" She looked at all of us expectedly like a little girl who had just told us her Christmas wishlist.

Everyone in the student council gave her an awkward smile before glancing down at their notebooks. I felt Will lean towards me, his mop of blond hair falling in front of his glasses as he pushed it back. "The Lockwoods are funding this" He whispered to me and Dana. Dana raised her eyebrows questioning him. "Here." He passed us a printed sheet of paper which was neatly labelled 'Funds'.

"Tyler is taking part." Aimee whispered from Dana's side. We all nodded in realization. "Something about needing variety for his college application." She added, scribbling something down.

Will nodded, while Dana turned to us. "I guess football was not enough variety." She joked quietly. Will and Jeff snorted quietly while Chad rolled his eyes.

Shaking my head, I turned to look at Erica. "Well, we've decided to accept your plans for the exhibition." I stated. Erica burst out laughing.

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you so much. This means a lot." Erica gushed out.

"Now that concludes-" Dana started, ready to end the meeting.

Caroline stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "-Wait just a minute." She interrupted. "You guys haven't said anything about the car wash." Will and I looked at each other while Dana looked annoyed at being cut off. I gave a look to Will, who quickly started looking at the budget plans. He looked up and nodded.

"Sorry, Care. We forgot." I said, slowly, apologizing. I really did forget. My mind was too clouded with the thoughts of others, it took me a while to find my own. I thought things would get better with Damon gone but I was spiraling out of control. "But. We decided to accept this."

Caroline sat down, pleased. "Good because I already printed out the flyers and you also promised me you would go through with this." She smiled confidently waving the flyers around. _"I knew Ava wouldn't let me down." "I wonder what Damon-No, I need to stop."_ She turned to everyone in the room. "It's tomorrow, anyone who can pull of a 'bikini' are welcome to help out." She gestured to Tiki. "Tiki?" Tiki and the other cheerleaders that she brought with her sprang up and started giving out flyers. We all accepted it with no questions asked.

All the other members of different clubs looked at Caroline enviously. _"I bet no one's surprised about this." "All the founders' kids are such privileged brats." "God, we get it, you guys are popular." "So unfair." "Caroline got hers accepted before all of us." "The flyers are so well designed, I wonder if Ava helped her." "Tiki's kinda ho-"_ I rubbed my forehead, trying to get rid of their thoughts. "All right then. This now concludes our meeting." I stood up, picking my notebook up. "Feel free to approach any of us for any questions and requests." I added with a smile before getting out the door.

I noticed Caroline followed me out while everyone else was busy gathering their things. "Hey." She tapped me on the shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." I breathed out, turning around to face her. "Just out of it."

She looked at me unconvinced. "Right…" Her eyes became unfocused for a second, like she was lost in thought. "I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" I asked, tilting my head.

"For what you did at Founder's ball." Her lips were in a thin line and her eyes unfocused again. "Elena told me, you gave her your first aid kit to help with my..." She trailed off, looking lost. "You also slapped Damon. I heard." She whispered, glancing back at me and leaning close.

Grabbing her arm, I rubbed it soothingly. "Caroline." She looked at me, on the verge of tears. "Let's put that night behind us. Okay?" I asked. She nodded fiercely. "As for what I did. Don't thank me, you're my best friend-"

"-one of them."

"Don't interrupt me." I chastised her. She pretended to zip up her lips. "Right, where was I? You're 'one of my best friends', of course I'm gonna do all that and more for you." I smiled brightly, letting go of her. "Damon's a dick anyway." I added, fixing my bag. She giggled. "I'm gonna go find Elena and Bonnie and let you get back to giving these out." I gestured to the flyers in her hand.

"Before you go." She stopped once again. "Promise you're gonna be there." She begged me. "Please."

"I can't pull of a 'bikini'." I shrugged, turning away before Caroline turned me around me again. She gave me a look that she didn't believe me at all. "I'm sorry, I really am. But even if I did want to. Have you met my mom? She's asian who grew up in a traditional south asian household for most of her life." She started pouting. I breathed out. "The most you'll get me in is in some shorts and a crop top." I added.

Her face brightened for a second as she grabbed her hands. "Then just wear some shorts and a really short crop top. Or OR wear those 50s style swimsuits...Y'know the ones with high waisted shorts and bikini top." She let go of my hands.

"Fine." I finally gave in. If I didn't she probably would've hounded me to death. "I'll show up."

She laughed. "Well, you don't have a choice anyway." Lightly shoving me, she grinned. "Being the student body president and all." Caroline looked behind her. Tiki and the other cheerleaders were out. She smiled as she went to join them, waving at me before she shifted into her false perky cheer captain self.

* * *

Elena and I leaned against the lockers in the hallway while Bonnie stood opposite us. She glanced at me, turning a little against her locker. "So how was the first student council meeting." Elena asked slowly.

Bonnie perked up and looked at me, curious. "Right! By the way congrats on becoming 'Student Body President'. I'm so happy for you." She quickly gave me a hug.

"Thanks guys." I brought my hair to the side. "The first meeting was memorable to say the least." I paused, thinking about how the thoughts of those at that meeting all but attacked me. It was almost a miracle that nothing, so far had happened. I guess I was going insane. "Overall, it was nothing interesting."

"Nothing?" Bonnie asked.

"Nothing." I breathed out. Bonnie's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

I turned away to glance at the end of the hallway and became quiet at the entrance of three cheerleaders. Elena, following my gaze, landed her eyes on the object of my attention. All of our conversations faded out as the two of us focused our attention on the trio of cheerleaders entering the hallway. Caroline and two other cheerleaders. Elena stared at her, her face dropping in an instant. Bonnie, curious at mine and Elena's lack of attention turned around to look at Elena.

We watched in combined silence as Caroline's voice drifted through the crowded hallways. "The sexy suds car wash is tomorrow. The football team and the band have committed. Well, not all the band. Just the ones who could pull off the bikini. I want, in your face, sexy. I mean, it's a fund raiser, for god's sake." She said loudly to her co-cheerleaders, handing out flyers as she walked. All her companions mimicked her, handing out flyers to anyone whose hand was free.

Elena scoffed. "Unbelievable. It's like nothing happened." I looked at her, slightly annoyed. Caroline was traumatized. What did Elena want her to do? Stay at home and cry. Not everyone copes the same, Elena.

"She's in denial." Bonnie replied shrugging.

We watched as Caroline laughed with a couple of students. "She's not. She's trying to cope with things." I stared blankly. I felt sorry for her, maybe if I was a little braver I could have helped her.

Bonnie nodded understanding where I was coming from while Elena looked ready to argue against. She stopped when we all noticed Stefan had come and stood by us. "Hey." He greeted us well more like Elena only but still.

Bonnie and I watched in silence as the couple looked at each other in longing. We glanced at each other mildly annoyed at being turned third-wheelers. She decided to break away first. "Hey. You know, I gotta go. Be somewhere right now." She turned to Elena and quickly made an excuse. "I'll see you, Ava." She quickly bid me goodbye and left me behind.

"Hey, Stefan." I greeted awkwardly. I turned to Elena. "Y'know, I'm gonna check Caroline. About the car wash. Student Council stuff. If she needs help or not." I rambled, quickly scurrying off to get away from being the third-wheeler.

" _Really? Why do they always do that."_ I flinched a little, hearing Elena's voice. I turned back to see, she was still lost in Stefan's eyes. Strange. Trying to shake off the strangeness of it all. I walked up to Caroline. "Hey. Before you ask. Everything is going great." She greeted me, bidding all her minions goodbye.

"That's great." I commented, fiddling with my skirt.

Caroline looked at me curiously and leaned down to my height. "Spill." She nudged me. "You didn't just come to ask me about the car wash."

I breathed out and awkwardly laughed. "I'm just trying to be a good friend." I stated. Caroline gave me a look. She didn't buy it. I huffed. "Fine, I'm tryna avoid being a third wheel to Ellie and Stef. Bonnie bailed on me. Please don't bail on me too." I pouted. Making eyes big, I stared at her.

I stopped when I noticed a glazed look on Caroline's face. Slowly, I tapped her shoulder to awaken her from her daze. "Stefan's here." She asked quietly. I froze. I had almost forgotten that seeing Stefan would instantly remind her of Damon. She breathed out to calm herself. "Where-" She began, stopping herself when she noticed him leaning against a locker behind my shoulders. "I'm gonna go ask him about..." She didn't utter Damon's name. "Can you come with me? You don't have to if-"

"Sure. I'll come." I cut her off, grabbing her hands. "But are you sure you want to." I asked her. Caroline nodded, determined to get to the bottom of things. I felt so guilty about lying about the whole vampire thing but who would believe me even if I didn't. "Let's go then." I added quietly, following Caroline.

Caroline stalked towards Stefan. "Stefan" She called out, stopping right next to Elena. "Where is Damon? He has some serious apologizing to do." She interrogated him with a wide painted smile and her usual perky self, determination etched on to her face.

"He's gone, Caroline." Stefan replied hesitantly, like he was afraid that he might accidentally say something he shouldn't. Elena looked at them and stared at me with a straight face. She was really tired of Stefan's lies.

"When is he coming back?" She asked, less confident than before. Her smile faltered.

Stefan glanced at me and Elena before replying. "He's not coming back. I'm sorry." He wasn't sorry.

"I hope he doesn't come back." I added, staring intently at Stefan.

"I'm sure he won't." Stefan retorted quietly. Caroline looked taken aback. Her confidence, now all gone, I rubbed her arm in comfort and watched Stefan give her a look of pity.

Elena glanced at Caroline while still keeping an eye contact with Stefan. "This is a good thing, Caroline." She tried to comfort her.

"I know that." A blank look overtook her face. She was upset that she wouldn't get her answers. Caroline shook off Elena's attempts and walked away. I followed behind.

* * *

Matt and I played pool at the Grill when Elena approached us, looking lost. "Looking for someone." I asked, tapping her shoulders. She turned around and glanced at us.

"Have you guys seen Stefan?" She asked, looking around.

"Nope. If you want to kill some time, um, you can rack. Come on. We haven't played in forever. I'll let you break." Matt offered. Elena hesitated for a while, looking at me. She searched my face for any sign of discomfort. "Come on, I need someone else to play with since Ava won't play with me."

I put my hands in defense. "Not my fault, I suck at pool." I slid my hands into my denim jacket's pocket, taking out my phone. "And I just remembered I have to go back to school and pick up something."

"You're leaving." Elena and Matt asked at the same time. They glanced at each other in slight embarrassment at doing so.

I laughed at them, nodding my head. "Yeahh. Mrs Saunders gave me homework cause I screwed up the classwork. So now I have to go back and pick up a canvas to redo it all." I paused. "Well, I was meant to do it after school but I forgot."

"You screwed up a painting. I heard from Chad that it was pretty good though." Matt said, leaning against the pool table.

"Being good is not equal to staying on task, Matty."

"Ouch, That's gotta suck." He grinned. I simply shrugged and turned back to gathering my things. I could feel Elena's eyes on us, the whole time.

"Well then, I'll see y'all later." I said waving at them and walking out the Grill. A feeling of dread filled my stomach as I walked out. I glanced behind me.

For a second, the Grill flickered. I saw a glimpse of it abandoned with types of cars I had never ever seen littered in the front. I blew out a breath and jogged to the parking lot to get to my almost new car. There a raven sat on the window, staring at me curiously. I tilted my head and it followed. I blinked and waved my arm trying to get it to leave. It failed. Ignoring it, I got into my car and started the engine. The bird flew away in an instant, shedding a feather in its wake. I watched it go before pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to school.

* * *

Sitting in my balcony, connected to my room, I stared at the easel in front of me. The canvas on it looked far different from the one I had left behind at school. Paint covered my hands and my apron but it was worth it. A more pleasant picture graced the face of the canvas. A breath-taking, ethereal and unearthly beauty. A fae, it was different from the horror that I had painted earlier in the day. A sharp contrast to the demonic entity on the last canvas.

I glanced at my sketchbook and compared it to the canvas. It was slightly different. The plan dictated the colors used should be vibrant or pastels. The canvas in front of me was different. Instead of pastels and vibrant hues, there was a lot of gold or amber shades with blacks. It's wings were painted to be translucent with an opalescent sheen to it. There was an almost glow to the painting. I was entranced by its eyes. A bright gold-amber that beckoned me forward. I blinked, snapping out of the daze and got up.

I left the canvas behind on the balcony, making sure to sign my initials at the bottom. Walking into my room, I locked the balcony door behind me shut. I drew the curtains on the door and the windows in my room before grabbing my journal. I threw myself into my bed, opening my journal and clicking my pen, ready to record the day's events.

> _28th September 2009,_
> 
> _Four days. It's been four days since the Founders Ball and needless to say it was okay. I have a feeling that things are going to change more. The Council are getting more serious about finding the vampire, they've started to constantly hound my parents and the rest of my family to help them. It's gotten bad to the point that my parents decided to cut their trip short and leave early. I hate it. I hate all of this but this is something I can control._
> 
> _Speaking of control, I've been having these weird instances where I accidentally, I don't know how to say this, maybe 'compel' would be the right word. Yes, 'compel'. I accidentally compel people without meaning to. I compelled Matt, a bunch of times in the past few days I've been here, Caroline, at the night of the Founders ball and even Damon which really didn't work. As far as I knew, vampires are the only things that can compel people. I'm not a vampire. I know I'm not. I don't know what's going on with me._
> 
> _That's the least of my problems. I'm hearing voices now as well. I might as well call the nearest sanitarium and admit myself. I'm scared of what's happening. It's not normal. Damon was right about one thing. I'm not normal._
> 
> _At least one good thing happened. Caroline is free now or I hope she is. She's acting like nothing happened but we all know something happened. Not that I mind, people cope in different ways. She's pretending by forcing herself to organize a charity car wash in Tanner's memory as the 'head of the events committee' and even wrapped me into it. I guess I don't really have a choice in that really, being the new 'President of the student council'. I don't even know why I signed up for it when I was already part of the yearbook committee and the art club. At least all of this will look good in my University application._
> 
> _Some good things are happening, Damon Salvatore has disappeared. My parents and uncle told me that Zach and Stefan managed to stop him and lock him up. Thankfully, now things will go back to normal._
> 
> _-_ _Ava R. Fitzroy_

* * *

Cars littered the school parking lot as I weaved my way through. Students dressed in bikinis and swim trucks all focused on washing the cars that were lined up. Some were covered in filth while most looked almost new. I looked at the almost new ones in slight disgust.

Making way to Caroline, I adjusted my denim jacket, unbuttoning the closer I got to Caroline. She looked busy, manning the cash and keeping an eye on the others. I tackled Caroline into a hug after watching her put some cash away safely. "Oh my god. You actually made it." She gushed. Hugging me back.

She broke apart the hug first and gave me a once over. I decided to wear denim washed high-waisted shorts with a floral high-neck bralette. My hair was down in my natural waves while my embroidered denim jacket covered me up. "Did I pass?" I asked with a smirk.

"You pass." She stated before breaking out into a proud and happy smile. Elena walked over to us, giving me a hug and looking at Caroline for orders. She sat in front of Caroline. "You showed up." Caroline started. I gave her a look. She shut up and instead chose to give helpful orders. "No friend discounts. No freebies. No pay ya laters. We are not running a charity here. No, we are not." She recited the car wash rules to Elena who looked really tired.

"No we are not." Elena repeated tiredly.

"Technically, we're a fundraiser. So in a way-"

"Really? Ava." Caroline asked annoyed. Stefan arrived, soon after, Caroline and I watched as Elena and Stefan greeted each other like they were the only two on this planet. "The event is called sexy suds, you know." Caroline interrupted the couple, walking away before they could react.

I looked at the couple and waved at them. I threw my jacket down next to Caroline, who picked it up and placed it neatly next to her seat. "That's my cue to leave." I said to no one in particular and made my way to Bonnie and Matt.

Picking up a sponge, I started to help Bonnie wash a car while Matt handled the hose. "Hey, you actually made it." Matt greeted, putting down the hose and giving me a hug. He pulled back, only to get replaced by Bonnie. "And you're actually taking part." He glanced at my outfit and noticed the camera missing.

Gently pushing Bonnie back, I faced Matt. "Caroline's in charge. You really think I had a choice." I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly, if one of us bailed. She would've gone all G.I Jane and hunted you down until you came and helped out." Bonnie added.

Matt laughed and turned around. He froze in his spot. Looking longingly at the couple behind us in the distance as they kissed. Bonnie and I gave each other a knowing look. He was still trying to get over her. It was hard but it was obvious he'd always have some lingering feelings behind.

Bonnie, taking a hint, stopped him and turned his attention back to us "uh-uh, no. None of that tortured pining stuff."

"I'm just observing." Matt retorted, a little embarrassed at having been called out.

I looked up the bright blue sky and raised my hands to almost touch the sky before bringing it back down. "What happened to you moving on?" I questioned, reminding him of what he had told me at the Founder's ball. I dropped the sponge and moved on to pick up a towel instead. Bonnie and Matt followed.

"I am." He replied. We looked at him, unconvinced. "It's a process, okay." He added after being caught red-handed trying to lie his way out.

Neither Bonnie and I chose to say anything in reply to Matt's attempt at convincing us. A car drove next to our lane. Bonnie glanced at Tiki who was just standing around. "Mm-hmm. Oh. Tiki. this one's yours."

"Why do I always get the homely ones?" Tiki complained, picking up a bucket. "Just to be clear, your car's a P.O.S. I mean, we can wash it, but it's still a P.O.S." She continued. God, she was being such a bitch. _"I just know that Bonnie did that on purpose. What a-"_ I shook my head trying to ignore Tiki's invading thoughts and glared at her.

I suddenly felt suffocated. Like my lungs were being constricted, I took some shallow breaths to come myself. "You don't look so good, Ro." Matt whispered, glancing at me. I mumbled that I was fine when I really wasn't. I couldn't exactly tell him the truth, could I. Instead I focused on drying the car while Bonnie and Tiki's confrontation went on in the background.

Bonnie breathed out in disbelief. "-You don't have to be rude." She chastised her. _"Why does she always have to do this? Bitch."_

"Rude is uglying up the road with that junk." Tiki made a disgusted face before she went to wash the car. The guy who owned the car looked upset and mad but he said nothing instead, he walked away.

Within a second, water was everywhere when the hose Tiki was using went out of control. "Whoa! What the hell?" She complained, trying to stop the hose.

Matt rushed to help her and grab the hose. "Wet and wild, Tik." Matt laughed holding the hose down. I moved my eyes to glance at Bonnie who looked deep in concentration. I breathed out tiredly. This day couldn't get any worse.

"I'm gonna go..." I tried to say, trying to hold my laughter in. "...go get some towels for you." I managed to speak in between laughs. Tiki looked at me gratefully. I threw my used towels onto a dry bucket nearby and went to find Caroline.

Instead of finding Caroline, I found Elena in her place, doing Caroline's job. I slowly approached her but didn't say anything. She looked busy talking to someone and I didn't want to interrupt them. "-talking to a friend of mine. At the grill?" She questioned an old man as she took in the cash he gave her.

The old man looked deep in thought. "Well, I...I thought it was somebody I knew." He replied, a little lost.

"Stefan Salvatore." She asked, a little nervous. My curiosity peaked and I decided to go and silently greet Elena. She just nodded in greeting, choosing to focus on interrogating the old man.

The old man shook his head in disbelief. "Nah, it can't be. It's just my mind playing tricks on me."

With a determined look, Elena pressed on and continued to question him. "Where do you think you'd seen him before?"

"When I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore boarding house."

"Oh." She replied, surprised.

"Stefan was just passing through to visit his uncle. I mean, none of us knew he was even here until the attack."

"The attack?"

"His uncle got killed. Mauled by an animal in the woods."

"His uncle? Zach?"

A strange feeling took over me while Elena and the old man spoke to each other. It was cold and it felt suffocating, it was similar to the feeling that passed over me the night Tanner died. I zoned out for a while, missing most of the conversation.

The old man was about to say more when Tiki came over to us. "Grandpa, you gotta go. Mom wants you home. Ok?" She glanced at us apologetically before slowly and gently dragging the old man away. "He wasn't bugging you, was he? He's a little alzy-heimer."

Wanting to actually focus on this, I decided to take Caroline's seat. I accidentally grabbed her bracelet from the table. She must have left it here by accident. I glanced back to Elena who looked deep in thought before she shook her head at Tiki's question and turned back to the old man to ask him more. But words never came out. Slowly, everything turned to static. Colors blurred in front of my eyes.

_All of sudden, I found myself somewhere else. Gone was the bright sunny parking lot, filled with students and towns folks all gathered around different cars, all littered in the parking lot. It was replaced by the eerily quiet wooden paneled walls of a familiar boarding house. I was standing in the dark and dimly lit corridors of the Salvatore boarding house. I don't know how I got here but I had a feeling this wasn't real or it hadn't happened yet._

_I felt myself disappear and reappear in a cloud of dust as someone walked straight through. My eyes widened in shock at that feeling. Quickly composing myself, I glanced back at the person who had walked through me. It was a blonde girl that looked oddly familiar, her hair were in two familiar side braids. She had a blue hoodie on and shorts._

_Curious, I followed her. I couldn't see her face in the dimly lit hallways but somehow I knew it was someone familiar._ " _Caroline." I heard someone whisper weakly. It sounded like Damon. I breathed out and nervously bit my lips as I remembered that Damon was supposed to be locked up in this house._

_I turned back to look at the lost girl. Caroline. It wasn't some random girl, it was Caroline. My eyes widened in shock and I quickly followed her through the hallways and down a staircase leading to the cellar._

" _\- What is this? How did I know that you were here?" I heard Caroline's voice echo through the cellar._

_I saw her standing outside a cell door which was locked shut. This was where Damon was kept. "Because I wanted you to." He answered weakly. "Very, very badly. Let me out of here. Please." He all but begged Caroline._

_Caroline stepped back and tilted her head in horror. "You bit me." She accused him quietly._

" _You liked it." He retorted, pausing to catch his breath. "Remember?"_

" _Why do I keep remembering the same things, but in different ways?" She asked, confused._

" _You remember what I want you to remember. And now that the vervain has passed out of your system, you won't remember what you're about to do."_

" _What am I about to do?" She questioned, scared yet ready for his orders._

" _You're gonna open the door. You're gonna open the door." He weakly tried to command her. He was trying to compel Caroline with whatever strength he had left._

_In a daze, Caroline started to open the lock after a brief moment of hesitation. "Caroline, don't! Snap out of it." I screamed at her but it all fell on deaf ears. When that failed, I tried to stop her physically and push her away, only for my hands to go right through her. I looked on in horror as slowly the lock loosened._

" _No! No!" Zach Salvatore ran down the stairs and pushed Caroline out of the way and put all of his body weight against the door, trying to keep Damon "Get out of here. Run!" He shouted at her while holding the door shut with all of his strength. I knew he wouldn't make it. Damon may have been weakened but he was still stronger than Zach. "Run!" He shouted again, struggling to keep Damon in._

_Caroline watched on for a moment before lightly pushing Zach and running up the stairs. With a blank look, I watched numbly as Damon ripped open the door and grabbed Zach's head, snapping his neck. Killing him. "Oh my god!" I breathed out in shock as tears fell down my face. Damon looked pissed, he quickly followed Caroline with me behind him. Caroline kicked him in the stairs as he tried to grab her leg._

_Quickly getting up, he crawled up the stairs like an animal. He stumbled on a carpet but still kept his eyes on his prey. I watched in relief as Caroline finally made it through the door. He tried to grab on to Caroline, but the sun burned him. I watched him sizzle and struggle to get away from the bright rays of sun-_

"-Ava." Elena called out to me, snapping me out of my haze. "Hey, I've been calling you for a while now. You okay?" She asked with a nervous laugh. I blinked twice and grabbed my arms. This was real. I glanced at Elena and nodded. "You sure? You didn't even notice Stefan, come and go. He thought you were ignoring him or something." She tried again.

"I'm fine." I breathed out. "I'm fine." I repeated with a tight smile. She looked unconvinced but chose to not call me out on it. Glancing at her, I decided to change the subject. "Stefan was here?" I asked, curiously.

She bit her lips, almost debating whether or not she should say what was on her mind or not. "Yeah..." She trailed off, looking behind her at Stefan who looked to be chatting with some students.

I mentally cursed myself for choosing to pick that topic. Choosing to again switch topics, I tapped her arm. "Um. I just remembered, I was looking for Caroline. Have you seen her?" The daydream flashed in my head. Zach's shouts still fresh on my mind.

"Why didn't you say that before? I think she went to get some towels and those shimmy things." Elena paused, looking around for the sign of our blonde best friend. "Thinking about it, she's been gone for a while now." She confessed, slightly concerned. "I guess that's kinda perfect for me." She mumbled under her breath. I raised my eyebrow, questioningly at her. She bit her lips and leaned in, signaling me to come closer. "Y'know how Bonnie got that weird feeling from Stefan-"

"-I thought you were over that." I harshly whispered.

"Well, I'm not." She breathed out. "Stefan and I had dinner at my house last night. I accidentally cut my finger and went to the sink to wash out the blood. I turned to look at the window and I see his reflection. It was scary for a moment. There was um..." She paused to collect her thoughts and to check that we were alone. "...his face. There were-"

"-dark veins. His eyes turned almost black?" I cut in, numbly. I huffed. Stefan had almost lost control around Elena, I couldn't protect his secret anymore. Not that it was mine to protect in the first place but I kind of expected him to tell her. He had way too many close calls by now.

"How did you-" She cut herself off. "Do you know something?" She said accusingly.

I glanced at the clear blue sky, considering my options. No matter what I did now, it wouldn't matter. I tell her the truth, she doesn't believe me. I lie and well, lying never ends well. "I...I do, I guess." I hesitantly answered. "But...but, even if I do know something. And I tell you that 'something', you wouldn't believe me." I finished.

"At this point, I'll believe anything. I just want to know who Stefan really is. Please Ava." She begged me. "All I know is that Tiki's grandpa knew Stefan or...he remembers Stefan from the 50s..." She confessed to me. "He said something about Stefan being there when his uncle died."

"Zach?" I asked in horror. Zach couldn't be dead, yet.

"No, Joseph." She replied. I tilted my head confused. "Yeah. I was as shocked as you were. But I need to know if he's telling the truth. Stefan couldn't have been there, he looks-" She breathed out.

"You need proof." I stated. "Even if I tell you what I think or know he is. You wouldn't believe me." I tried again. Elena tried to argue against me. "Trust me, you won't. I know because I didn't believe myself that 'they' were real." She watched me in deep thought, carefully listening to every work I was saying. "The best thing you can do is find some proof that Stefan was there in the 50s, then you confront him."

"Just like that." She asked. "What if...what if he lies again and doesn't tell me anything."

"He won't. I have a feeling, he won't. He loves you too much to lie."

Elena scoffed at my words. She didn't believe me but I knew it was true. "What about you? How do you know all of this?" She turned to look at me, questioningly, trying to search for answers in my amber eyes.

"We'll cross that bridge later. Maybe I'll tell you more later on." I promised her with a comforting smile. She nodded. "Right now, I really need to find Caroline. It's a matter of life and death." I added before grabbing my denim jacket from Caroline's seat and sprinting towards my car in the parking lot. I got in and drove straight to the Salvatore boarding house, determined to save Caroline and Zach.

* * *

I got out of my car, parking it as close to the door as I could. I quickly walked in. The door was open. Stefan and Zach really needed to start locking the door. I walked through the foyer to the eerily quiet wooden paneled walls of the familiar boarding house. Making my way to the cellar, I walked through dark and dimly lit corridors of the Salvatore boarding house. I knew where I had to go but I was afraid that I was too late.

Quickly, I found myself at the door of the cellar. The same door as my vision. With a deep breath I flung open the cellar door and as fast as my legs could take me, I made my way down the stairs. I kept reciting the plan in my head. Get Caroline out of there, make sure Zach was alive and hopefully keep Damon locked up. I kept repeating that as I all but ran down the corridors of the cellar.

"-You're gonna open the door." Damon's weakened voice greeted me. I heard as he tired to compel Caroline.

I sprinted all the way to Caroline, shouting. "Caroline! Don't! Get away from him!"

"Ava?" "Ava!" Caroline and Damon said at the same time. She looked frightened, like a small animal while he sounded annoyed. "Ignore her." Damon barked out.

"Caroline, get away from the door. Now!" I slowly inched closer to her, afraid to confuse and frighten her even more.

Damon made an exasperated noise and tried again. "You're gonna open the door." Caroline nodding her head, slowly loosened the lock. Seeing this I pushed her off to the side, panicking.

"Caroline, run!" I shouted out. Caroline glanced at me in concern.

"I can't-" She started when Zach came sprinting downstairs, panicking and scared for both me and Caroline.

"No! No!" Zach Salvatore ran down the stairs and pushed Caroline out of the way and put all of his body weight against the door just like he did in my vision. "Get out of here. Run!" He shouted at her and me while holding the door shut with all of his strength. I ignored him and instead helped him hold the door. "What are you doing?! Run!" He shouted again, struggling to keep Damon in. He looked at me and tried to make me leave.

Caroline watched on for a moment before lightly pushing Zach and grabbing me to run up the stairs. "Caroline, I need to go back." She tried to protest but I pushed her up in the direction of the stairs. I left her at the foot of the stairs and ran back down the corridor to help Zach. I didn't want to run away anymore. I watched in horror as Damon kicked Zach and grabbed his head, snapping his neck. "No!" I screamed, getting Damon's attention. He glanced at me with hunger in his eyes.

"You again?" Damon hissed. His face morphed into something unrecognizable as dark veins appeared under his eyes. That's when Caroline decided to come back. I wanted to curse and shout at her. She tried to grab me again.

Damon lunged at us. In fear, I pushed Caroline out of the way. "Caroline, run! Get out! Leave me behind!" I commanded. Her eyes flickered to amber and she nodded before she made a break for it, running as fast as her legs could take her. My bloodstone necklace felt warm as it repelled Damon and threw him off me.

"Bloodstone. How rare. Haven't seen that in a while." He spat out. I ran over to Zach when Damon got up in an instant and grabbed my arm, tightly, almost bruising my skin. He closed his mouth around my wrist. Thinking quickly, I put my hand in front of his face.

Suddenly, a warm and bright golden glow appeared in my hands, burning Damon's face. His face sizzled and burned in the bright light emitting from my palms. He flinched back. "What the hell are you?" He questioned, weak from the vervain and the burns. I watched in silent horror as his face healed. "Doesn't matter..." He breathed out. "I'm gonna kill you." He said, his fangs sticking out threateningly. He lunged at me again. I held my hands out in front of me. The bloodstone and a different force worked together to throw him off me and knock him out cold. A bright light blinded me for a moment.

I breathed out harshly. Breathing hurt. My lungs felt like they were on fire. I fell back on to the cellar floor, tired. A warm liquid run down my nose. Bringing my hands to my nose, I wiped it off. Blood. I was bleeding. I moved my gaze to see Damon, a few feet away from, knocked out cold from whatever that was. I turned around and looked past him, to look at another body. Zach. I dragged myself off the cold ground and made my way towards him.

"Please don't be dead." I begged, holding my hands to Zach's neck in an attempt to check his pulse. I pressed hard, with a rag I had accidentally brought along with me. My stomach curled in disgust but I pressed on, literally. A faint beat was there. It was there but he was fading fast. It would be a matter of seconds before he completely flat-lined. A part of me knew he wouldn't survive, it was almost impossible to survive a vampire snapping your neck.

I didn't want to leave him behind after getting Caroline out. It wouldn't be fair. I looked back at Damon. He was still knocked out, sprawled out on the cold wooden floor. I didn't know how long the bloodstone and that thing would affect him and I didn't want to find out. "Come on. Zach, wake up." Tears slid down my eyes in desperation as I begged and pleaded for him to stay alive.

All of a sudden, the warm glow came out from my hands again. I wanted to flinch back in fear of it burning Zach like it did with Damon. But instead, I didn't. _Crack._ I watched in silent shock as Zach's neck made a loud crunching sound, like his bones were all snapping into place. As if nothing happened, the glow disappeared. I breathed out, not even realizing I had been holding my breath. With a gasp, Zach awoke, his eyes fluttered open. "Am I...dead?" He asked, clutching his neck while taking deep breaths of air.

I stared at him for a second, ready to answer him. I stopped when I heard Damon groaning. He was waking up. I didn't have time for this. Instead, I turned to him and grabbed his hands, bringing him up to his feet. "Why don't we find that outside." I tugged him with me, dragging him outside into the sun. I didn't know if Damon would be able to follow us or not but it was better than anything. Maybe he would burn like he did in my vision.

"Good idea." Zach breathed out harshly. "He won't be able to follow us into the sun." He was regaining his strength, little by little. "-He doesn't have his daylight ring." He added. _Daylight ring?_ Is that how he walked in the sun. I filed that information in my mind and put all my energy into dragging Zach to my car.

"That's great. But less talking, more walking." I huffed out, pulling him out of the dark and dangerous boarding house and into the sun. "Let's get you somewhere safe." I shoved him into the passenger seat and got into the driver's. Quickly starting the car, I was ready to go. Without thinking I decided to not return to school but instead take Zach home. My house was probably the safest in the whole town. None of my maids could actually invite any of the vampires since they didn't live in the main house and no one in my family would even think of inviting one. It was theoretically the safest place.

* * *

I stood in my room, wet hair sticking to my neck and my bath robe as I stared blankly at my reflection. Now and then I would catch my eyes glow a bright amber. I blinked, trying to forget what had happened and I had done. Bringing my hands in front of me, I put palms up. The bruises on my wrist had healed thanks to the bloodstone. But that wasn't what I was checking. I wanted to check if I could make my palms glow again.

A bright and warm golden glow filled my room as my hands lit up. It looked like I held rays of sun in my palms. Looking at the mirror, I noticed my eyes turn amber again. I closed my palms and my eyes to see the glow fade until it disappeared like it was never there. I breathed out, tiredly. What was happening to me?

_Knock. Knock._

Two knocks interrupted my breakdown. Quickly wiping down my tears, I quickly got changed in my pajamas and threw off my bathrobe, trading it for my dress robe. "Come in." I called out, turning to face the door.

Maria's bright ginger head poked out from the door as she smiled at me comfortingly. "Your uncle was calling you downstairs, Miss." She stated. I nodded quietly and told her to lead the way. I followed her down the stairs to the family library. Maria bowed her head and left. I watched as she went out. She was probably going home now.

"You called?" I asked, making my presence known to the two men who were huddled over a laptop.

Nate Fitzroy, my uncle and Zach Salvatore, Stefan's 'uncle'. They were deep in discussion but they stopped when they heard me come in. "Ava." Zach greeted me. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life." He began. "I don't know where I would be-"

"-Dead. You'd be dead." Uncle Nate interrupted him with a deadpan look. I looked at him with a grin and wide eyes. "What? I'm just saying it as it is."

Zach looked at him, mildly annoyed. "Ignore him, Zach." I said, rolling my eyes. "Most of our family already does." I muttered, leaning my head towards Zach.

"Rude." I shrugged at Uncle Nate's comment.

"Well, anyways. I have to go back home-" Zach started, glancing at both of us.

Uncle Nate leaned against a bookshelf. "With Damien on the loose?" He asked sarcastically.

"Damon." Zach and I corrected at the same time. Zach breathed out. "Do I have a choice? That's my home. Not to mention, the only vervain supply in the town is in that house."

"You can find another home, away from here." I pointed out. Uncle Nate nodded at me and gave Zach a look.

Zach looked at loss for words. "What about the vervain?" He asked. "The boarding house has the only vervain plants in the basement." He emphasized on the 'vervain' part again.

Uncle Nate and I shared a look. Sometimes, it helped being the reclusive but well-off founding family. You could do more without eyes on you. "About that..." Uncle Nate started, getting off the shelf and walking out of the library. No doubt to go to the greenhouse with the vervain, aconite and witch hazel. I still had no idea what the latter of the two were for. Uncle Nate came back in no time, holding a freshly picked stem of vervain. "You were saying?" He held up the stem to Zach's face.

"How-" Zach started, stopping himself. "You guys have vervain." He picked up the stem from Uncle Nate's hand and examined it. "You guys have had this all this time and in broad daylight as well, right under the council's eyes."

"Yep. And we didn't have to share it." Uncle Nate added.

I smirked. "Perks of being the outcast founding family." I bragged.

"You have Giuseppe Salvatore and George Lockwood to thank for that, ruined our family's reputation even though we were the ones who helped them the most when they-" Uncle Nate started ranting.

"Uncle Nate, you're ranting again." I said in a singsong voice. He stopped and threw me an apologetic look.

Uncle Nate nodded and moved to the center of the room. He turned back to look at us with a serious expression. "Zach. If you want to live, we as the Fitzroy family suggest you not go home. Home being the Salvatore Boarding House." He began, clasping his hands. "The second option is for you to leave this town and honestly, if I were you I'd go with this one." Zach nodded his head, contemplating his choices. "I mean you already knew this since you were there for our family conference call. Be grateful we put away our family rivalries aside for this." Uncle Nate gestured to the laptop. He then glanced back at a door at the back of the library. Hesitation filled his face and he faltered for a second. "There is actually...another option." Uncle Nate slowly revealed. "We send you to live with your daughter-"

"-Daughter?!" Zach and I both said at the same time in disbelief. "Since when do you have a child?" I questioned, looking at him with arms folded.

Zach stared at me dumbfounded. "I don't." He breathed out, looking at Uncle Nate for an explanation. "I don't have a daughter, let alone a lover, girlfriend or a wife."

"Well, you had a fiance actually. You just were compelled to forget." Uncle Nate glanced at him, his brown eyes, unreadable. "Ava." He glanced at me. "Can you go to your Dad's study and bring out the manila file in the top drawer. Can't miss it, it has a bright green post note on it." I nodded, still shocked about this whole secret daughter thing.

I walked straight past Zach to open the door to the study. Flicking the lights on, I waited for a few seconds as light engulfed the room. It was a big office, one I hadn't been inside in a while. There were two black leather couches in the center of the room facing each other. On the center of the couches was a wooden table, an antique, no doubt. On the right side of the room was my dad's desk, behind it a large window. This office used to be my late uncle Eric's and before that my grandpa Charles' and now it was my dad's who had been forced into the position of the heir.

Shaking my head, I quickly strode towards his desk and opened the top middle drawer of his desk. Just like my uncle Nate had said, the manila file was on top of all the other files and papers. I grabbed the file, walked out of the study, making sure to turn the lights off. I walked straight to Zach and handed him the file. I figured that was what Uncle Nate wanted me to do anyway.

Without a word, Zach opened the file. "This is-" He broke off, tears sliding down his face as he started breaking down. He quickly composed himself after flicking through the contents of the file. "I...I know what I'm gonna do." He said quietly.

Uncle Nate nodded in understanding, giving me a look. "Well, Gabe said you can stay here for now." He paused, letting Zach absorb his words before continuing."I'm heading to Duke in the next few days. I'll take you with me when I do. There's gonna be less eyes on me as well."

Zach nodded numbly, agreeing to Uncle Nate's plans. I glanced back and forth between the two. "Well, if we're done here. I'm gonna...head to bed." I said breaking the awkward tension in the room. "I've had a long day." Both men looked at me in understanding. I bid them good night and made my way back to my room.

* * *

Walking into my room, I jumped into my bed. A slight breeze made me shiver and get up. I glanced at all my windows. They were all closed. Confused, I got back up, annoyed. I pulled my silk dress robe around me and walked towards the balcony. To not my surprise it was open. I flung it open and went outside to look. No one was there. I laughed a little. I was becoming too paranoid.

My gaze suddenly wondered to the painting that I had done for art class. Like a moth to the flame, I walked over to it. There was something different about the canvas. The creature in the painting had a different expression, one of tired horror. I blinked. Her face was back to one of feigned lostness. I shook my head, I was definitely too tired.

I threw one last look at the canvas to make sure my mind wouldn't play any tricks on me. It was still the same. Looking around the balcony, I walked back. A cold chill passed through me all of a sudden. In fear, I ran back inside to my room and shut the door. I locked it for extra safety. With my back to my room, I slowly back away. Breathing in and out to calm myself.

I rubbed my arms in an attempt to comfort me. Calming myself down, I took off my robe and placed it on the back of my dressing chair and flicked the light off my room, engulfing the room in darkness. As I climbed on to my bed, the cold feeling was still there along with a feeling that I was being watched.


	7. Found & Lost

Chapter 6: Found & Lost

* * *

_Fire._

_When I opened my eyes, there was fire everywhere. The intense heat from the flames made my skin feel as if it was slowly peeling off. Everywhere I looked there was fire. Breathing in and out, I tried to calm myself, trying to tell myself that this wasn't real. This wasn't happening but I couldn't calm down. The heat from the flames felt suffocating. It felt real._

_1\. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10._

_I counted in my head, trying to focus on myself. I kept counting from one to ten, back and forth. Slowly, I peeled my eyes open. The fire was raging and it surrounded me. But it wasn't the only thing surrounding me. All around where I stood, were people on the floor, some passed out due to the fire or some unknown cause. And some were clutching their heads in immense pain. The screams of anguish rang through the air intertwining with the smoke from the fire._

_Plucking up my courage, I walked to the men closest to me. One lay on his front side down, weakly gasping , his face blurred by the heat. The other leaning against a pillar of concrete, clutching his head, dressed in a suit. Breathing out harshly, I crept closer…_

Riiiiiiing. Riiiiiiing. Riiiiiiing.

I woke up with a sharp gasp, my lungs desperately gasping for air. My sheets were drenched in sweat. I threw them off me and turned to look at myself in the dressing table mirror, facing my bed. I looked horrible. Sweat-drenched hair, stuck to my face and neck in a messy way. My pajamas stuck to my body as well.

Riiiiiiing.

The incessant phone rings broke my train of thought. Annoyed, I stretched over to my bedside table and picked up my phone. _Elena_. Her name flashed on the screen, the minute, I flipped my phone open. The light from the phone illuminated my face. I squinted my sleep-filled eyes at my phone.

_3 missed calls._

I groaned and prepared to call back when she called again. I tilted my head in confusion. It was 2 am in the morning according to my phone. What would be so important for Elena to call me this early in the morning. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice that her fourth call ended. I cursed myself for being this tired. Groggily, I tried getting up from my bed but fell down when my leg got caught up in my blanket. I breathed out, tiredly. It was too early for me.

With my eyes half closed, I tried to instead just stretch over and turn on my night lamp. I flicked my lamp on, light seeping out. With a tired sigh, I fully opened my eyes and stretched out my hands. The light, moving as I did so. My eyes widened as I quickly brought my hands in front of my face.

My palms were glowing like the sun or a star. A combination of light blue, sunshine yellow and white almost me as I stared at it with widened eyes. Now awake, I wiggled my fingers and shook my hands. The light would go out and come back when I opened my palms. I concentrated hard, shutting my sleepless eyes, willing the light to go. I was plunged into the darkness once again as the glow disappeared from my palms.

Riiiiiiing.

My thoughts were shattered when my phone rang again, reminding me this was real. My hands could in fact glow in the dark like a glow stick. Unfortunately, in the darkness, I had tossed my phone somewhere on my head. I blindly looked around for it, using the feeling of my hands to look for it. Riiiiiiing. The phone kept ringing.

Annoyed, I brought my left hand forward and willed myself to put all my thoughts and energy into making my hand light up. Hand, not hands, I only needed one glow in the dark hand. To my relief and shock, a ball of pure light appeared in my left hand. I breathed out, slightly impressed at this. I brought the ball of light close to my bed, trying to locate my phone which had gone silent.

Riiiiiiing.

Instantly, I followed that noise and thanks to my new abilities as a human torch I found my phone.

_5 missed calls_

The screen of the phone read. I breathed out in annoyance and finally picked up Elena's phone call. "Finally!" Elena's distraught voice greeted me. It sounded like she pacing in the background.

I rolled my eyes at her tone and brought my left hand, still with the glowing orb in my hand. I observed it. "It's like two in the morning, El." I yawned as I replied.

She apologized for disturbing this late but claimed it was important. "I know what time it is, Ava." She snapped.

I was taken aback by her sudden change in tone. "Is there anything...wrong?" I hesitantly asked her, bringing the orb close to my face. It felt warm and comforting. I turned my attention back to Elena. "Elena?" Silence greeted me. Did she hang up on me? I wanted to curse her out for ruining my sleep. "You there?"

A weird static like sound was heard in the background. "-still here-" She was cut off. "-Ava, I need-" Static kept interrupting her, no matter what she said.

"Hold on, I can't hear you." I pressed the phone hard on to my ear and all but shouted out.

More static with occasion white noise mixed with Elena's voice. "-What did-" She kept cutting off. "-you-" More static. "-Ava-"

"Hello? Elena?" In frustration, I brought my left hand away from my face, keeping it almost an arm length while I focused all my attention on Elena. "Can you hear me? There's like a weird static thing going on in the background." I complained.

Slowly the static faded out but still there. "Oh my god. Finally, I can hear you." Elena breathed out. "What the hell was that? Where are you?" She questioned.

That same question appeared in my mind, thinking nothing of it, I brought the light closer to me. The static returned slowly. Noticing this, I willed the orb to disappear. The call became crystal clear the minute the orb disappeared, plunging me back into the darkness of my room. Interesting, I thought.

"Ava?" Elena called out. "You there?"

"I'm here. I'm at home." I reassured her. "Sorry, what did you want to say to me."

I heard Elena breath out trying to calm herself. "Right...um. I don't know how to say this but I did what you asked me to do." A look of confusion passed through my face as I tried to think about what I had asked Elena to do. She ignored my silence and chose it as my answer and carried on. "I did some digging with Logan Fell's help. Tiki's grandfather was right. Stefan was there in the 1950s." She confessed, on the verge of tears.

"Oh my god." I exclaimed, my eyes widened as I realized that Elena knew. "Did...did you confront him?" I asked with some apprehension.

For a moment she said nothing. "...Yes. I went over to his house. He...um...confirmed what he was." She kept pausing in between, almost scared to reveal everything in one go. Like confirming it with me would make her fears a reality. I understood where she was coming from, I too wished that this wasn't real and that these monsters were all just a figment of our imagination. "...He's a vampire. Ava. A vampire..." She breathed out in between sobs. "You were...right. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me then." She sobbed.

"Elena. I didn't-" I cut myself off, trying to find the right words to comfort her. "I don't know what to say." I confessed sadly. "I do know. That Stefan is not a bad guy." I went on. "No matter what he is, he's not a bad guy. He truly cares about you but this was never gonna work." I finished. I was right, he was immortal and she was not.

"If he cared about me then why did he lie. Why did you lie?" She asked between sobs.

I was taken aback by her sudden accusation at me. "I didn't lie." I stated. "Lying would be stopping you from finding out. I didn't stop you. I just didn't tell you because it wasn't my secret to keep or tell."

She sniffed. "I know. I'm sorry for going off like that." She apologized. "You need to tell me how you knew, at least. Deal?"

"Deal. Over a few cups of hot chocolate mixed in with some tequila, maybe invite Bonnie over as well." I replied. "I need to show you guys something." My left hand glowed faintly as I said this. I trusted Bonnie and Elena with my life and now that Elena knew of the supernatural, there was no point hiding this, even I didn't know anything about the strange warm glow in my hands.

Elena laughed weakly. I just knew she was wiping any stray tears that were on her face. "Sounds like a plan." She said without hesitation. I heard her breath in and out on the other end. "...About Stefan? And Damon...apparently he killed Tanner and all those people..." She began.

"You two need to have that conversation on your own." I retorted. "As for Damon, I know." I revealed to her, fiddling with my bloodstone necklace. I heard Elena gasp. "Maybe in the morning after you sleep off the betrayal, you and Stefan can have an actual talk." I added, sarcastically.

She laughed again and sighed. "I'll take your advice. Thanks for listening to my breakdown."

"Oh honey. If that's what you call a breakdown...then you never wanna see me breaking down." I retorted, making a face of disbelief. "Anyways, I'm gonna hang up and go back to bed. Night, 'Lena." I mumbled out as a yawn escaped me. Before Elena could reply I ended the call and tossed my phone off to the side.

With a sigh, I finally got up from bed. I decided to take a shower and changing out of my drenched pajamas before going back to bed. I brought both of my hands together in front of me and concentrated hard. Slowly, I watched in awe as a ball of light appeared between them. I moved my right hand above my head and walked over to my bathroom, deciding against turning on the lights in case I woke up Zach and Uncle Nate.

Before entering the bathroom, I made my way to my closet and picked up a new set of pajamas. These ones were a red and black set. I grabbed my towel and stepped into the bathroom, into the shower. Turning on the shower, I let the water wash away my nightmare and my worries.

I stepped out of the shower and quickly changed into my new pajamas while throwing the old ones into the laundry basket. I sighed. It was getting more tiring everyday in this godforsaken town. I didn't know how long I was going to last here. I blinked all my worries away and slapped my cheeks with both of my hands. Hands that were back to normal. I applied my moisturizer and walked back into my room.

Stretching my head side to side, I walked straight to my bed. I stopped in my tracks when a cold chill passed through me. I held my breath and stared down at my hands. I glanced up and slowly crept closer to the center of the room. With each step, the chill grew. My teeth chattered as I walked closer to the epicenter of the cause of the feeling. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed some movement from my balcony.

With a silent prayer, I quietly moved to my bag and got out the dagger and with my free hand, I turned over the bloodstone necklace. I didn't know if the glow would work in times like this. It was still uncontrollable and I didn't know how it worked but I knew how to use a dagger plus the bloodstone necklace had never failed me so far.

Plucking up all the courage I could, I slowly opened the doors to the balcony. I let my eyes adjust to the darkness outside. It was different from the darkness inside, here the stars shed some light onto my surroundings. Just enough for my eyes to make out a dark silhouette leaning over my half-down painting.

I shuddered, my teeth chattered. This was the cause of my sudden coldness. Noticing the unknown shadow of a man, I took a careful step back onto the threshold of my house. "I have to say you're talented." A seductive voice which sounded male, weakly complimented.

I narrowed my eyes and brought my left hand forward in a defensive manner. It held the dagger. "Damon." I spat out. I could feel him smirking. "What the hell are you doing on my balcony?" I interrogated him.

"Relax, Buffy." He said with a cocky tone. "I'm not here to eat you or anything." He laughed, flashing forward to the edge of the boundary between my room and the balcony. "You knew all along, what me and Stef really were. Good acting skills." He went on, taking a few steps back from the boundary and walking around. "Nice pajamas by the way. Red is definitely your color." He said, checking me out. Anger flashed through me. All of a sudden warm glow illuminated Damon's face. He looked weakened, near death almost. His natural pale skin looked deathly pale, paper white. He weakly laughed. "Interesting, anger makes you light up like a glowstick."

I clenched my fist with the glow and pointed it at him."A glowstick, that can hurt you." I retorted, backing away into the safety of my room. "...Or maybe kill." I added as an afterthought.

He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Uh-uh, right...Let's be real here, you and I both know you're not the type to kill...Or I would not be standing here." He paused, gazing at me. "But...that's not why I'm here." He said with a wave of his hands. "I'm here because..." He gestured to one of his fingers. "...my dear 'Uncle Zach' and 'baby brother Stefan', both decided to steal something valuable from me." He stalked closer, stopping just a few centimeters away from the boundary. "My ring. My daylight ring." He breathed out, tiredly.

"And this concerns me because?" I asked, putting the hand with the dagger on my hip.

He tilted his head and stared into my eyes. "Because you broke into my house, knocked me out with your little bloodstone necklace over there..." He retorted, gesturing to my neck. "...And then when I woke up, Zach, Caroline and you were gone." He finished.

I swallowed heavily and breathed out. I knew I couldn't tell him Zach was alive. One, I would be betraying Zach and two, I would be going against my family's plans to get him to safety. I let my eyes wander for a bit while I contemplated my options, I could feel Damon follow my gaze closely. "...I got out with Caroline. Y'know the poor girl, you abused. She came back for me when you managed to get out of that...um...cell?" I replied with some feigned uncertainty.

"Then what happened to Zach?" He asked. He was losing his patience. "Cause I remember waking up and poof. The three of you were gone. Note how I said three." He went on, holding three fingers up.

I rolled my eyes at his theatrics. "I get it. You don't have to do all that." I stared into his eyes while tilting my head. "I don't know about Zach. I really don't." I paused for extra effect. "Last I remember you snapped his neck. Doesn't that mean YOU killed him." I accused him while breathing out harshly.

For a moment, he stared at me, searching my eyes for any shred of lies. I knew he wouldn't find any. He knew like I did that it was impossible for a human to survive a broken neck. But only I knew I did the impossible and somehow revived him. I watched in silence as Damon paced back and forth, thinking out loud his thoughts. He stopped and flashed back in front of me. "Fine. Then the least you could do is help me get my ring back...since it's your best friend's fault that I lost it in the first place." He commanded while he ran his hands through his hair.

I stepped back in disbelief. "And why would I do that?" I barked out. I flinched when I realized how loud I was. Then I lowered my voice. "Helping you in any way is the last thing I would ever do." I pointed out quietly. "Especially not after what you did to Caroline." I went on, folding my hands. "...And Zach." I added for a good measure, still pretending he was dead.

He breathed out, frustrated by my denial and stepped back. He flashed back, his face changed. Black veins throbbed under his eyes and his fangs came out. "You're gonna help me or I will drain this town until there's not one drop of blood left." His face returned to normal. "And I know you're the caring type so I'll go for your family and friends first."

I laughed in disbelief. "I'm gonna call your bluff." I uncrossed my hand and held out the dagger. "I can't help you. I won't. If you want your stupid ring back…" I drifted off. "Go. To. Stefan." I stated, before walking back to my room.

"Fine." He agreed. Shocked, I turned around to look at Damon. He just agreed to what I said with no arguments. I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'll go to Stefan, right after a midnight snack-"

"Damon-" I warned him quietly.

"I thought you were calling my bluff or were you about to offer, sunshine?" He asked weakly with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at his dramatics, he laughed, knowing I would die before I offered myself as vampire food. "Thought so." He said. When I blinked he was gone.

I relaxed, the minute he disappeared. I almost pitied the people he would drain but it was either me and my loved ones or them. And I had no wish to get involved with Damon of all people.

Before closing the door to the balcony, I glanced around checking I was alone. I then quickly shut the door behind me, making sure to lock the door. I stalked towards my bed and jumped onto but not before putting away the dagger back into my bag which now lay on the foot of the bed.

Laying in bed, I brought my still glowing hand in front of my face. I held it out above my head and moved it around as I stared up at the ceiling. It wouldn't go away, stopping me from going to sleep. And I couldn't put it on my bed, in case the heat from the light burnt my sheets. I stared at the glow hard. It took a while and what felt like an hour at most before the light started to slowly dim down before fading away completely. I breathed out a sigh of relief and let my arm drop to my side. I closed my eyes and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sitting in the living room, home alone. I let the TV run in the background while I sat with a steaming hot mug of mocha in front of me and my sketchpad out in my hands. I ignored the TV and focused all my attention on my sketches. They were supposed to be the concept sketches for my next pieces of work in the 'Dream' series. I had decided to go for the mythological approach and started researching 'dream-like' creatures from different myths. Choosing to settle on a few forest sprites, elves, pixies and like last time fairies.

I tucked my feet in and sat cross-legged on the couch. Focusing all my attention on shading the pixie's wing. I decided to make it intricate but not too intricate. Focusing too much on detail would make it harder for me to replicate on my canvas. I looked away from my sketch and put the pad at an arm length's distance while I stared at it, checking if it was okay. Slowly I placed the sketchpad next to me on the couch. I glanced back onto my phone.

_2 new messages_

Flipping my phone open, I opened the new messages. It was Elena. I opened her first message without missing a beat.

_Met with Stef Grill, talked bout Vamps n Care._

_\- Lena_

_Stef offered 2 show me his old house n talk bout past._

_\- Lena_

I held my phone close as I read her messages. I didn't doubt Stefan would tell her the truth but it seemed Elena did. I knew Stefan probably tried to defend Caroline's treatment at Damon's hand. That was something I would never forgive Stefan for. I was, however, surprised that Stefan had literally offered to walk Elena through his memory lane. My phone flashed again when another message came through.

_We're walkin through old Salvatore estate. Meet me l8r at my house 2 talk?_

_\- Lena_

I quickly agreed to her offer and shut my phone. I placed the phone next to my mug, trading it for the mug. I sipped the hot drink and flicked through the channels. I paused when Logan Dell's face flashed onto the screen. Turning the volume up, I leaned back and watched the news.

_"This is Logan Fell for WPKW9." He slowly walked backwards and gestured to all the corpses around. "Three bodies were found dead in what is believed to be a drug deal gone awry. The bodies have yet to be identified. They were discovered earlier today over at the old Mystic Falls cemetery._

"Drug deal gone wrong? more like a vampire trying to cover their tracks." Uncle Nate commented, leaning over my shoulders to look at the TV with his hands clasped.

I turned around to look at him with my eyebrow raised. "There was a council meeting?" I asked. He didn't say anything but just nodded.

I watched as he walked around and sat on the armchair next to the couch. "Not exactly a meeting, more like a voice message from Logan updating me that he got the Gilbert watch." He stared at the TV. "That guy…" He gestured to the TV. "Needs a hobby."

I laughed, throwing my head back. "And I thought hunting vampires was a hobby." I retorted sarcastically.

He made a face of disgust. "Sure Van Helsing." He leaned over and stole my mug and took a sip. "Mine now." He taunted me. I rolled my eyes at him. "As I was saying, they have these big plans to use the watch. Plan A is using it as a compass since we won't help. Plan B is to take the compass and another Gilbert heirloom to make the...wait for it…'The Gilbert Device", sounds great right?"

"Gilbert Device?" I repeated, confusedly. "How original." I commented dryly.

Uncle Nate laughed. "I know right." He groaned as he glanced at his phone. "And I don't even know what it does-"

"-Does anyone?" I questioned, out-loud.

"All the council knows is, it's an anti-vampire device meant to maim or kill them." He answered with a shrug. "Anyways, Evie just came through." He stared at his phone and pointed at it. "Zach Salvatore has been safely taken out of Mystic Falls. One less thing to worry bout. Still a miracle how he survived." He shook his head as he relied Aunt Evelyn's message.

I bit my lips in hesitation as I remembered what happened yesterday. I was hesitating whether or not I should tell him. Last night I was so confident about sharing this all but now, I was scared. Scared that I would be judged. "...About that." I started quietly.

Uncle Nate perked up, shifting his attention to me and putting down his phone on the coffee table. "What happened this time?" He asked, a little concerned. "Did you happen to have one of your dreams?" He went on, leaning close to me and picking up his phone, ready to call my parents.

"I did." I answered, remembering the vision I had at the car wash and the fire-y nightmare I had the night before. "But that's not the only thing…" I shifted in my seat and uncrossed my legs, sitting straight on the couch, I brought my left hand forward. "...Please don't freak out." _"Huh. I've seen everything at this point. Nothing can freak me out at this point."_ Uncle Nate's thoughts reassured me a little. "It's good then you're not gonna freak out."

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at me. "How did you-" He began.

"-Read your mind." I interrupted. "I have no idea but apparently I can do that now." _"That's so cool….wait...shit...that means she can read all my thoughts. Think rainbows, not Meredith or my failing classes."_ I laughed. "You're failing your classes?" I asked with a grin.

"Please don't tell your dad and your Aunt Diana. They will kill me." He begged.

"Relax. I won't." I reassured him. "But I want my curfew extended and...I want access to the archives." I tried to make a deal.

"Curfew? Yes. Archive access? Your dad and Di's in charge of that." I pouted in his response. "Don't give me that look, that's out of my hands."

Uncle Nate got up, almost out of the living room when I stopped him. "That's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about." He turned around and stared at me. Taking a deep breath, I brought my left hand forward again and concentrated hard. A warm glow appeared slowly in my hand, engulfing it in a bright light. "Please don't freak out." I almost begged, biting my lips.

He stared at my hand and walked closer to me. With some hesitation he tried to touch the light. I protested, trying to stop him but he didn't care. Well, if he got burned that was on him. To my surprise he didn't get burned. "Feels warm." He commented, staring at the light almost mesmerized by it. I watched with widened eyes as the scar on his hand from a childhood accident slowly healed just by being exposed to the light. "Holy-" He pulled away and observed his hand. It was clear. No scar or blemish were there. "Woah. This is so freaking cool." He gushed, peering at his hand. "I would totally tell your parents but your dad just took on a huge case and your mom's busy with surgeries. Unless-" He glanced at me. "-You don't want me to."

"I don't really care. They're gonna find out, one way or another. But that's not what I'm worried bout." I replied, trying to will the light away. "You're not freaking out?" I questioned him.

"Why would I?" He answered looking at me like I was crazy. "You've done stranger things, like that time when you fell off that tree and you miraculously-" He began.

I stared at him. Silent, just observing him before cutting him off. "That's great but I'm sure that incident wasn't as stranger than being a human firefly that can read minds and supposedly bring people back from the brink of death."

"Human firefly." He repeated. "Sounds epic. Wish I was a human firefly." He went off topic, almost complaining about his lack of glowing abilities. "So far we have learned, you have psychic visions and dreams and now you can read minds and glow like a firefly. Oh...And you can heal people. Nice."

I looked at him incredulously. "No. Not nice." I retorted, losing my cool. "I'm freaking out." I lashed out, the light turned into an orb and shattered a glass vase into pieces. "Oh my-"

"-Uh, We need to get you some help." He commented with widened eyes. Just then Gina heard the commotion and ran to the living room.

She stared at the glass pieces in confusion, then glanced at us, we were too far to have broken it. Saying nothing, she went away and brought back a broom and a dustpan. "What happened here?" She asked while brushing up the shards of glass. Uncle Nate and I gave each other a look _"Oh no. This was the expensive vase. Miss Layla and Mister Gabrial will not be happy."_ I felt guilty all of a sudden, I didn't mean to lash out and break the vase.

Uncle Nate strode towards Gina and acted like he was inspecting the vase or what was remaining of it anyways. "Huh. That's so weird. Must have been the wind or it wasn't properly placed in its place." He commented, standing over Gina's shoulder. Gina looked panicked while she brushed the floor. "Don't worry, I'll tell Gabrial this broke by mistake." He reassured her. She wasn't reassured much but looked at the two of us skeptically.

Choosing to say nothing, she left the room like she had come. She left with the mug, dustpan and brush. "... I'm sorry." I mumbled out, guilt seeping through my apology. "I didn't mean to break great-grandma Helen's favorite vase." I added.

He breathed out tiredly before glancing at me, hands on his hips. "It's fine. You didn't mean it. You lost control…" He sighed. "Shit. We need to go to Sheila's." He stated under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear him. I just nodded in response, getting up to put away my sketchpad and get ready.

* * *

"Focus. And breathe gently." The soothing voice of Sheila Bennett rang out through her parlor. I did as she instructed, focusing on the growing orb of light between my hands. "Good. Now slowly pour all your feelings and thoughts into it." I closed my eyes and did as she told me. I felt relaxed like this was as easy as walking or talking.

I could feel Uncle Nate fidget from the sidelines. "A question. How are her feelings gonna help?" He asked, raising his hand up like he was in a classroom. I glanced at him and saw Bonnie giving him a questioning look from beside him.

Sheila laughed quietly, still not taking her eyes off me. "Feelings can often cloud judgement." She stated, amused. She leaned on the table and looked at me. "Now I want you to aim that ball to the pot behind me."

Bonnie got off the shelf, she was leaning against and came to look at her grandma. We made eye contact and both shared the same thoughts. This wasn't gonna end well. "Are you sure, Miss Sheila?" I asked carefully. "I might hurt you."

Uncle Nate came and stood by me as well. "This isn't a good idea Sheila." Sheila looked unbothered by all of our concerns. "I know you and Ava have been working almost all afternoon on this but come on...she broke a vase...an expensive one might I add and almost sent herself into a nervous breakdown on the way here."

I swallowed, listening to my Uncle's rant. He was right, I was still scared to do anything with my abilities. Bonnie came around to me and squeezed my shoulders in an effort to comfort me. "I'm sure." Sheila calmly replied to all of our concerns. "She's ready." She turned to look at me. Her dark and aged eyes stared at me. "Forget your fears and put aside your emotions. Focus on the task at hand." She stated and nodded behind her at the pot.

Taking a deep breath, I aimed for the pot. Bonnie and Uncle Nate stepped back from the table in slight fear. I pushed the orb with my mind, shattering the pot into pieces like the vase at home. However, this time it was more controlled and I felt more in control than last time. "I did it." I said, shocked. "I broke the pot. Like I wanted to." I added.

Sheila looked at me with pride. "Yes, you did." She leaned back. "Now I want you to try again, this time with one of your hands. Maybe your dominant hand." She gestured to my left hand. "You know how to generate the light orb but can you do it single-handed, we'll see."

I nodded and glanced at my left hand. I imagined a small ball of light taking shape in my head. There was nothing. Not a single thing in my hand. I kept trying, determined to get this right. Just when I was about to give up, some wisps of light started weaving a small orb of light. I watched in awe as the wisps joined together to form a tiny star in the palm of my hands. Taking my gaze of my palm, I stared behind Sheila at my target and threw the orb straight at it, shattering the pot.

Uncle Nate and Bonnie burst into a fit of applause while Sheila beamed with pride. "That was so cool." Bonnie remarked, giving me a hug. She pulled back and looked at me. "I know it sounds weird but I'm so glad you're like me." She gushed. Turning to look at her Grandma, she leaned forward. "So when can I learn how to do that?" She gestured to the broken pots and Uncle Nate's scar free hand. "Break pots with beams and orbs of light while also healing people with my mind and reading minds. Sounds so-"

"You can't learn all that." Sheila cut in with a stern but calm tone. "Because you can't do that." She continued. "And neither can I." She turned her aged eyes to stare at me. "Only she can do that."

Bonnie scoffed, taken aback by what her Grandma was saying. Uncle Nate looked back and forth between the two witches, feeling awkward. He gave me a look and I nodded. "What...what do you mean?" Bonnie asked, tilting her head. Confusion was etched on to her face as she tried to comprehend what her Grandma had just revealed. "Isn't Ava like me, a witch?"

"No, she's not." Sheila replied, unbothered as she poured herself some tea from a ceramic teapot. "Now that I think about it, you probably could do what Ava did, with a few spells." She added as an afterthought as she sipped her tea.

"She's not a witch." "I'm not a witch." Uncle Nate, Bonnie and I spoke at the same time staring at Sheila who seemed so at peace drinking her tea. She said nothing but simply nodded.

Uncle Nate pulled back and started pacing around the room. "This doesn't make sense." He kept repeating as he paced back and forth around the room. "My mother was a witch, y'know..." He stopped pacing and turned to look at Sheila. "Doesn't that mean Ava should be one as well?"

"Well she's not. I don't feel it." Sheila retorted, putting away the empty teacup on the tray. "And just because Janine was one, does not mean her granddaughter will be one as well."

Bonnie turned around and picked up the tray from the table while leaning into Sheila. "But Grams, I'm-"

"Let me finish." She cut Bonnie off. "Sometimes, not all the time, will the grandchildren of a witch will be a witch. Even a child of one can't always be a witch." She carried one, folding her hands on the table. Uncle Nate stared at her confusedly. "See, even out of all your brothers and sisters. Only your sister Diana and you have the gift." She finished, unclasping her hands.

Throughout all of this, I stayed silent letting everyone talk while I just wondered. What the hell am I? I took a deep breath and took my gaze off the wooden table to stare Sheila in the eye. "Then what am I?" I asked quietly.

I heard Sheila sigh tiredly. "That...I don't know." She began with a hesitant voice, the serenity and confidence all drained in an instant. "...You are something, I have never encountered in all my life practicing." She took back the teacup from the tray, Bonnie was holding and stared inside the empty cup. "But when...I touched your hand, I felt…'light'. I felt 'nature'...it was unlike anything I have felt before." She answered with a faraway look in her eyes. "But you don't have to worry about it." She added quickly, back to her calm and confident self.

I said nothing in return but watched as she handed Bonnie her cup back with a smile. Bonnie threw a comforting look before she collected all the empty teacups and took them into the kitchen. I breathed, tired of it all yet I knew this wasn't over. This was only the beginning and hopefully, I'd know what I am soon. At least now I know how to control them a little better. No doubt I'd need more practice.

_Ping._

My phone flashed while I was lost in my thoughts. The sound of a message coming broke me through my haze of thoughts. I took out my phone while keeping an eye on the room. Bonnie still hadn't come back while Sheila quietly talked to my uncle about his studies. I flipped my phone open and searched for the new message. It was Elena. She really was determined to keep me updated with all of her supernatural findings.

_Come 2 my house rn_

_\- Lena_

Just as I was reading her message another came through. One from Matt. I almost ignored it but stopped when something told me this might be important.

_Its Vick, pls come 2 Lena's. Need help._

_\- Matty_

Flipping my phone shut, I got off the chair and quickly put on my pink cardigan. I glanced at Sheila and Uncle Nate, both too busy in their conversation to notice me. I coughed loudly to get their attention. Instantly they both turned to look at me in concern. "Thank you for having me, Miss Sheila and for helping me with...um...y'know." I gave her a look to get my point across. "I think it's time, I left you and Bonnie." I said, bowing a little. "Also, please tell Bonnie, I'm sorry for leaving without telling her." I added. Uncle Nate quickly mirrored me, thanking Sheila while getting up.

"Where's the fire?" Uncle Nate asked, following me out of Sheila Bennett's house. He unlocked his door and got in.

From the inside, he pushed open the passenger door. I said nothing but just got in and quickly put on my seatbelts. "Elena's house." I stated, choosing to ignore his question. "Also, let's stop by the Grill." I added as an afterthought.

* * *

I stood outside Elena's door and stared at the sky. It was still bright out. But soon the sun would set and day would end, bringing night out. That meant Damon would be free again to walk among us. I knocked one more time and waited for someone to open the door. I heard a click and the door opened revealing Elena on the end. She engulfed me in a hug, clutching tightly in relief.

She led me inside, closing and locking the door as she ushered me into her kitchen. "-She's transitioning." I heard Stefan's voice before I saw him from the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen without a warning. His eyes widened when he realized Elena wasn't alone. "Hey…" He greeted me awkwardly. "What are you-"

"Transitioning to what?" Elena asked him, cutting him off and ignoring his shock over my surprise visit.

Stefan glanced at me and hesitated answering her. I found his awkwardness kind of funny. I couldn't help it when a few giggles escaped me. Elena glared at me, trying to get me to be a little serious. "Yeah...sorry...your face." I breathed out before becoming serious. "Anyways, carry on." He didn't say anything. He stared at me with apprehension. "Ugh, for the love of...I know what you and your brother are." I blurted out, leaning against a far counter.

He nodded dumbfoundedly at my answer. Elena repeated her question, he glanced at her. I suddenly felt like I was intruding on their conversation. "A vampire." He breathed out, jaws clenched.

"What?" Elena blurted out, shocked.

I pushed myself off the counter and walked towards Stefan. "Another vampire!" I called out. "Seriously?!"

"She's not a vampire, yet." He tried to defend himself. "She's in transition."

I scoffed. I glanced between the couple. "Wait. Who are we talking about, again?"

Elena rolled her eyes at my question, while Stefan looked on awkwardly. He still wasn't used to me knowing. "Vicki." "Vicki Donovan." They both said at the same time with the same exasperated tone. Stefan breathed out and carried on. "Damon must have gotten to her. She's new. She hasn't completed her transformation yet."

"H-how does she do that?" Elena asked carefully, walking towards me and clutching my arm in a way to calm herself down.

"She has to feed on human blood." He quietly replied.

Elena shook her head in disbelief and tightened her hold on me. "And what if she doesn't? Her voice, full of fear.

"She dies." I stated, emotionless. Vicki Donovan was going to become another victim of Damon Salvatore. I wanted to kill him but I couldn't. Damon was right, even if he was a monster, I wasn't a killer.

Elena's head snapped to look at me. She let go of my arm and backed away, shaking in fear of the truth. Stefan nodded at my reply and glanced at Elena. "Ava's right, She'll die. She may only have a few hours." He added.

"She's upstairs with him right now." She gasped out as the reality hit her.

I watched in silence as Stefan moved to calm Elena down, throwing me a look to help. "It's ok. She doesn't know what's happening to her yet."

"We have to tell Matt." I said, staring at the couple.

"We can't." Stefan and Elena said at the same time. Elena swallowed and took a step back away from Stefan and me.

I didn't say anything for a while. "She must be so confused." I mumbled quietly, pitying Vicki. Matt didn't deserve this. His mom was a no show, his dad gone somewhere and now his sister was on the verge of becoming a monster. I couldn't tell him any of this.

Stefan nodded in agreement before turning to give all of his attention to Elena. "So when is she gonna know?" She asked Stefan.

He let out a breath, clearly struggling to tell Elena all of this. "Right now, she doesn't remember anything. A part of her is still human, but slowly, the deeper she gets into the transition, the memories will start to come back, and then she'll know she has to make the choice."

"The compulsion will break, then?" I asked, tilting my head. Stefan nodded. "And then she becomes less human and more monster or...she dies." I paused and turned to look at Stefan. "Unless she makes a choice to live."

"It's a choice. For a reason." He tried to rationalize.

I heard Elena scoff and watched as her eyes hardened slightly. "The same choice you made?" She asked with a slightly harsh tone.

I glanced back and forth between the couple. They were clearly on thin ice. Elena was big on honesty, I had dodged the bullet by pushing her into the direction of the truth but Stefan just continued to lie. "...I'm gonna go check on Vicki." I said quietly to no one as I walked out of the kitchen and walked upstairs. Remembering that Matt had also asked me to meet him here, I made my way to Jeremy's room.

* * *

I walked into Elena's room and walked around. Biting my cheek, I quickly decided to peek at her dressing table to see if the vervain I put there were still her. To not my surprise, they were gone. I groaned. Damon was definitely here. He must have moved them.

But this wasn't why I was here. Jeremy's door was locked and the only other way to get to his room was through the shared bathroom. Slowly, I walked towards the bathroom and swung the door open. There leaning against a bathroom counter was a familiar blond quarterback.

I slowly walked up to him and tapped his shoulder. He looked lost in thought. I tapped his shoulder on more time. He stirred and looked around for the disturbance, coming face to face with me. A relieved smile spread across his face. He engulfed me into a big hug. "You made it." He said quietly, letting go but still holding on to my hands. "I thought you'd be busy or somet-"

"Matt. Relax. Breathe." I tried to calm him down. He stole a glance at Vicki who was wrapped in Jeremy's arms. "It's gonna be okay." I tried again, swinging our clasped hands sideways. I knew I was lying. I was a hypocrite. I should tell him the truth but I knew it wouldn't be fair to Stefan. "Vicki's gonna be fine." I let go of his hands. "I'm gonna go say hi to Vick and I'll be right back." I said with a painted smile, walking into Jeremy's room.

I knocked before I entered. Tiredly, Vicki and Jeremy untangled themselves a little but still holding onto each other for dear life. Jeremy was the first one to greet me. "Ava. Hey. Did Elena call you?" He asked me. I simply nodded. "Huh. Thanks for being here."

I took out a plastic bag from my bag. "I bought some burgers for Vicki. Matt told me-"

Vicki snatched the burger from me and I watched in silent horror as gorged on the burger. I knew this was a preview of what was to come. I masked my horror with a pitiful smile. "Thanks..." Vicki breathed out between bites. "This is pretty good."

I think I had brought about enough for all the people in the house right now. All of which were now being devoured by her. She finished eating all of the burgers, offering one to Jeremy who refused. "Better?" I asked her, handing her an unopened water bottle from my bag.

"A little." She breathed out. Cleaning her mouth with a napkin. An image of Vicki's mouth caked in blood and sitting over a corpse flashed in my mind. I blinked trying to erase that image. "...It's funny how you're always there when Matt and I need you." She laughed sadly and quietly. She sucked in a breath and looked at me with a devious smirk. "Y'know what?" She broke the seal on the bottle and downed it in one go. "You and Matt should hook up. You're waay better than Elena. No offence Jer."

Jeremy scoffed, somewhat relieved to have the old Vicki back for a second. I knew this wouldn't last for long but I decided to play along. I leaned close to her and flicked her forehead. She made a sound of being in pain while I rolled my eyes. "Just checking if you have a fever." I said with an innocent smile. Vicki made a face. "But seriously, you okay?"

"I don't know. I feel...I feel like death." She said slowly. "Does that make sense? It's fine if it doesn't, Matty says I barely make sense when I'm high or sober-"

I grabbed her shoulders. I stared into her eyes. I swallowed heavily as I glanced at Jeremy who had tears in his eyes. They were threatening to spill, this was a boy who had lost his parents and was now about to lose his first love. The least I could do was try to make the last moments between them more easy on him. "Vick, I need you to calm down. You're scaring Jeremy." I said quietly, pretending I was hugging her. I pulled back and watched tiredly as her eyes flickered to amber and she nodded. I glanced at the couple in pity, knowing this was the last time, they'd have be normal together. "I'm gonna catch up with Matt." I gestured to Elena's room. "Play safe, lovebirds." I waved at them, walking out.

"How is she?" Matt asked me, grabbing my hands again.

I stared at him hard. There was so much I wanted to tell him but I didn't. Instead I painted a smile on my face. "Hungry." I said with a small laugh. "Girl, just devoured six burgers and six servings of fries all on her own." I carried on with a feigned grin, letting go off his hands and hopping on to sit on a counter.

He breathed out in relief. I watched as he ran his hands through his golden hair in anxiety. "She's getting better." He said quietly. "This is gonna be the rest of my life." He stated, blankly staring at the door to Jeremy's room. "I'm gonna keep worrying bout her for the rest of my life." He continued on.

"Isn't that the job of the responsible sibling?" I joked, turning around to look at the mirror behind me.

Matt sighed. "Does Dan worry bout you all the time?" He asked with a genuine smile. "Or do you worry bout him?" He tried to rephrase the question.

"Yes to the first one. And not to the extent you and Vicki do." I replied. "Dan only worries bout me when I skip meals or OR I accidentally get a hold of something with fire." I laughed. "Like seriously, he even checks in with me and Uncle Nate to check if I'm eating properly and not going near fire." I added, rolling my eyes and getting off the counter.

He laughed as well. I stared at him. He looked a little lighter after laughing. "Do you? Do you still skip meals?" He asked me with a concerned look.

"Nope. Wouldn't dare. Don't want Dan to come all the way from Cali to annoy me." I answered, getting out of the room with Matt following.

Matt nodded, walking close to me. "I remember the camping fire incident." He said with a smile going down the stairs as he did so.

I groaned. "Please don't remind me." I begged, reaching the landing.

"I'm sorry but who cleans chicken with hand-sanitizer." He asked me.

"I was a child!" I protested. "How was I supposed to know it had alcohol and alcohol was flammable." I pouted, turning around to walk to the kitchen to meet with Elena.

"You then tried to barbecue that chicken."

"I was a child!" I repeated, getting off the counter. "And if anything, my parents are to blame. Who lets a-" Matt started laughing hysterically while I glared at him.

Our smiles faded when we heard Vicki make some noises upstairs. All of a sudden there was some frantic running down the stairs. We watched as Viki ran down the stairs like a prey escaping from predator with her shoes in her hands. She ran out the door before we could even say a thing. Matt glanced at me, I nodded and we both ran after her. "Vick. Vicki!" He called out after her as I followed him outside the Gilbert House.

I looked around but she was gone. She had disappeared. Elena gave me a look while Stefan stood next to her with a worried look on his face. Jeremy came down the stairs and joined us outside, standing on the threshold of the house.. "She was fine, and then she just...she just freaked out." He started.

Matt huffed. Turning to look at Jeremy, he got ready to run after Vicki. "I'm gonna go look for her. Call me if you hear anything." He stated in a tone of urgency. He spared me on last glance before sprinting after Vicki.

"I can track her." Stefan whispered to Elena and me while we watched Matt run after Vicki.

Elena nodded and Stefan glanced to look at me. "I'll stay here, look after Jeremy and Elena...and in case Vicki comes back." Stefan tried to protest. I rolled my eyes and pushed him to follow Vicki. "Be careful, the Council are looking for vampires right now." I leaned in and quietly whispered just so only he could hear me."It's gonna get dark soon. I'll watch out for Damon as well." I added. He said nothing, gave one last fleeting look to Elena and ran off.

* * *

I stood over the sink as Jeremy handed me the plates from Elena. We were just playing the waiting game now. "Maybe we should check in with Matt." Jeremy asked both me and Elena.

Elena breathed out and walked over to the table, grabbing a plate before handing it to Jeremy. "He'll call when he finds her." She retorted, looking at me for support. "You should've let me do that." She called out as I washed the dishes.

"Well, you guys didn't let me cook and instead ordered chinese. This is the least you could let me do." I retorted, glancing over my shoulders. Picking up towel, I dried the dishes and turned to look at Jeremy. "By the way, Matt texted me a few minute ago-"

"Did he find Vicki-"

"No." I cut in, shrugging. "Apparently, the Sheriff and her deputies offered to look for her." Elena and Jeremy nodded at the new information.

He turned around and leaned against a counter next to me. "Well, what are we supposed to do?"

"We wait. We're supposed to wait." Elena tried to reassure her little brother.

"I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Nobody knows what's wrong with her." "She'll be fine." Elena and I said at the same time. She gave me a look that said be more positive. I scoffed. She was coddling him. Jeremy would know sooner or later. "It'll all be fine." She tried again when the doorbell rang.

We all shared a look and rushed to the door. Elena getting there first. I watched as she opened the door and then quickly attempted to shut it. _"What's he doing here, now?" "God. Can the Salvatores leave me alone?"_ Hearing Elena's inner complaints, I rushed towards the door and threw all my weight against the door. Damon was here and he was on the other side of the door. This brought me a sense of deja vu. He pushed harder, moving me and Elena aside, he walked in.

Elena and I exchanged knowing looks. She breathed out in fear. "Jeremy, go upstairs." She commanded.

Jeremy started protesting. I rolled my eyes. I really didn't want to compel Jeremy but I needed him to get out of here fast. "Listen to Elena, Jer. Go to your room. Now." I said without looking at him, my afternoon session Sheila taught me a few things like eye contact was unnecessary for this. I heard Jeremy retreat up the stairs.

"Impressive." Damon remarked, watching Jeremy go up the stairs. "New trick?" He asked, staring at Elena. He was trying to make me panic.

"That's not the only trick I have." I retorted, trying to distract him for Elena. She backed away from him while he was busy talking to me. She accidently caught his attention.

Damon turned away from me and stared at Elena. "You're afraid of me. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess. Stefan finally 'fessed up."

Quickly, I put myself between Elena and Damon. Elena grabbed my arm in fear. I gave her a reassuring look and glared hard at Damon. "Stay away from me." She barked, pulling me back with her.

"Hey, there's no need to be rude. I'm just looking for Stefan. May I come in? Oh, wait. Of course I can. I've been invited. We can cut to the chase if you want." I took a step forward towards Damon. His blue eyes meeting my amber eyes in a heated battle. I brought my left hand forward, ready to summon the ball of light. Damon caught my hand and looked at me. "I'm not gonna kill Elena or you right now. Relax" He said with a grin, trying to placate me. "That wouldn't serve my greater agenda." He broke off our staring match and glared at Elena. "So...Where's Stefan?"

Elena looked disgusted by his presence and looked away. "He's out looking for Vicki." She answered, turning to glare at him and bury herself into my back.

"Don't look at me with those judgey little eyes or is that your resting face." He said staring back at me. I moved to free my left hand from his grip. "Girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her." He added, letting go of my hand.

"Did you thank Katherine?" Elena questioned from behind me.

I rolled my eyes. "Elena, shut up." I whispered harshly. "Stop provoking him."

"Got the whole life story, huh?" He glanced at her, raising his eyebrows.

"I got enough." She retorted, completely ignoring my warning. I really don't know why I bothered.

"Oh, I doubt that." Damon said, stepping back.

I rolled my eyes and opened my left palm, light emitted from it. "Get out!" I warned him, bringing my hand in front of me. Elena stared at me shocked, about to ask me what that was. "I'll tell you later." I said to her. "Why are you still here?" I asked Damon.

"You heard her. Get out." Elena chimed in, getting her bravery back.

Damon laughed mockingly before it died down and he looked ready to kill. "Cute." He remarked. "Tell my brother I'm looking for him." He said with an annoyed look, almost walking out of the door. "Oh, tip for later, be careful who you invite in the house." He advised, standing on the threshold of Elena's house, smirking before he flashed away.

The minute Damon left, Elena quickly moved to shut and lock the door. Checking the locks twice to make sure. She then glanced at me. "Please tell me you're staying over tonight..." She asked breathlessly.

I took a step forward but not before willing the light to go away. "Do you want me to?" I questioned.

"After all that happened..." She started, staring at the locked door. "I think so." She replied on the verge of crying. I engulfed into a hug as she broke into a sobbing mess. "...I think...I might...break up...with Stefan." She said between sobs. Her pain was obvious.

I pulled back and squeezed her shoulders, trying to comfort her. She loved him, that was clear but she was so torn between life and death. Especially when she had just gotten her will to live back. I would never know what that felt like. The only thing other than this on my mind was Vicki. I prayed she would make it through the night. I prayed we all made it to another night.


	8. Bury A Friend

Chapter 7: Bury A Friend

* * *

> _**The Journal of James A. Fitzroy** _
> 
> _**September, 1864,** _
> 
> _The skies have become darker as winter grows closer. There have been mysterious deaths in this town of Mystic Falls, men and women disappearing, all being found with blood drained of their body. It's baffling to what sort of monster or demon would do such a thing like this. Father and I have been on the edge lately due to this matter. Father claims it is the work of 'vampires' and has elected to form a Council on this matter composed of the Founding Families. He claimed this at the start of the year and after months, the Council has been formed, I fear it may be too late and that these demons have already infiltrated our great town._
> 
> _The murders are not the only strangeness that is occurring in this town. For some bizarre reason, I feel this odd chill in my bones whenever I am around the owner of the apothecary, the lovely Miss Pearl and her daughter, Anna. It's unexplainable but I know there is something unhuman about the two of them. I know they are the not only ones, I fear Miss Katherine Pierce may too be one of those demons. She may have only arrived a mere five days ago but the carnage upon her arrival has increased tenfold. It's no mystery that the carnage and she may be linked. Father and I found out that her story of being a poor orphan from fires in Atlanta may be false._
> 
> _Why she would go to such lengths to falsify being an orphan is baffling. Perhaps she truly is a 'vampire' and plans to garner sympathy. As of now, she has lost her sympathy from the people of this town. That wretch had the audacity of breaking my sister's betrothal to Damon Salvatore. My lovely sister Lydia was not heartbroken yet she is disappointed at the circumstances. Giuseppe Salvatore had the audacity to claim my sister was to blame for the failure of the betrothal as if his son is not to blame. That is not all. He along with the Mayor's son, George Lockwood insist we, Fitzroys, are going mad and have been adamantly defending Miss Katherine's humanity._
> 
> _It is quite saddening that the friendship between the two great families, the Salvatores and the Fitzroys have crumbled due to this matter. I have no doubt but Miss Katherine to blame for this. At least the Fells and the Gilberts are taking this matter seriously. Johnathan Gilbert has always been a believer and thankfully he is working on-_

Elena tapped on the window of my car as she tried to catch my attention. Quickly closing the journal, I unlocked the door. Unsurprisingly, I had lost track of time waiting for Elena in front of her house. She got in and greeted me. "Thanks for driving me to Stefan's." She stated, tiredly. I don't know why but for some reason, she's been really tired lately. I try to resist the urge to read her mind but sometimes it just happens.

"No, worries." I gave her a bright smile, starting the engine and driving to the Salvatore Boarding House. "Y'know it's kind of weird how you two spend more time together than you did when you were dating." I commented quietly, checking for any kind of reaction from her from the corner of my eyes.

She bit her lips, nervously and shrugged. "It's...it's complicated." She simply stated.

I let out a laugh of disbelief. "Seriously?" I turned off the radio and turned some of my attention to her while also keeping an eye on the road. "Come on, El. You and I both know you can't be friends with someone you love—And you **clearly** still love Stefan." She opened her mouth and closed it, trying to think of a way to respond to my accusations. Having nothing to say, she threw her hands in the air and turned to look outside "Or maybe you and Stefan are hiding something." I muttered under my breath.

"What!" Her head snapped to look at me, betrayed that I would even suggest her of something like that. "Why would I...hide something from you?" She asked with her big doe eyes. I was being harsh but it was true. Ever since that night Vicki disappeared and she broke up with Stefan, she's been too secretive. It was kind of funny how she's ready to fight with someone for keeping secrets but the moment it's her doing it, it's suddenly okay. "I'm not hiding anything from you."

I rolled my eyes and focused on the road. "Did Stefan tell you what happened to Vicki or did he find her body?" I asked casually.

She glanced at me and then looked outside. "I don't know." She replied, nervously. "...We don't really talk about 'that night'." _"It's better this way."_ She added quietly, trying to distract herself by fidgeting with the seat belt.

We said nothing for a while. The silence was awkward to say the least. _"I need to change the subject"_ "So how long have you been able to..." Elena gestured to my hand, breaking the silence. I raised my eyebrows and gave her a confused look before turning my eyes to the Salvatore driveway. "...do the whole...summon light with your hands." She asked, swallowing nervously as she did so. She had not bothered to ask me about that at all. I had guessed that she was avoiding but clearly she was waiting for the right moment.

I killed the engine after parking the car, taking time to gather my thoughts. "A while." I simply stated. "I get why you're reacting like this. I was the same when I found out last month."

She licked her dry lips and looked at me skeptically. "Didn't look like you found out recently." She accused me. "It...um- looked like you had practice."

I scoffed and gave her a look of disbelief. "Yeah, if you call flaring up like a glowstick every time I get angry being in control then, yes I have it under control." I retorted, getting out of the car.

Elena followed me and got out of the car. I watched as she walked to the door. Before she knocked, she quickly turned around. "I'm sorry." She apologized, walking back to me. "I'm so sorry for being a terrible friend who always says the wrong thing. I swear I'll make it up to you. I promise." She continued on. She quickly gave me a hug and walked back to the entrance of the house.

I laughed. "You just want me to cover for you at school." I called out, leaning against the car.

She gave me a thumbs up from the entrance. "I will be very grateful."

I rolled my eyes and chose to say nothing. I watched her take a deep breath and ring the doorbell. While she did that, I decided to get inside my car and lock it with me inside. I took out my phone and sent a message to Uncle Nate about my whereabouts. Uncle Nate had decided to stay at Duke for the time being, coming back when he had no classes. I knew it was more to do with him failing those classes than trying to miss Council meetings.

I glanced back at the door to see Damon leaning on the side of the door frame while talking to Elena. To no surprise, he was annoying Elena. I didn't have to see her face to know she was done with him. I sighed and got out of my car for the second time.

"Is there a problem here?" I asked, my head tilted to a side while I walked to the entrance of the Salvatore Boarding House.

Damon and Elena both glanced at me. He waved at me with his usual grin that I hated so much while Elena tried to reassure me with her smile, she failed. "Well if it isn't miss sunshine, gracing us with her presence on such a fine day. Good morning Ms Firefly" He loudly greeted me.

"Really? 'Firefly', you have anything else to call me?" I retorted, folding my arms. He shrugged, amused. "Leave Elena alone. She came here for Stefan not to get harassed by a leech."

Damon burst out laughing while Elena looked on from the side, nervously. "Well you have a point- Stefan's a leech as well." He defended.

"Not as much of a leech as you." I stated with a mock smile. "You're like the leech-ist leech in the history of leech." I added.

"Really? I was just getting to know what's up with-" He gestured to Elena. "-little miss 'I'm on a mission' over here." He turned back to me. "And now I'm getting insulted. I did not wake up this early to get insulted by you both. Is this 'insult Damon day'?" He continued to rant, walking out the door, coming to stand next to me.

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "Everyday can be an 'insult Damon day', if I want it to be." I retorted, sticking out my tongue.

"Anyways you also came here to ask 'bout that girl..." He pretended to think. "What was her name...Nicki? Nah. It was-"

"Vicki." Elena and I said at the same time. We both glanced at each other. She looked worried while I looked confused. I thought Elena and Stefan didn't talk about Vicki at all. "She didn't." Elena answered before I could even get a word in. "She only came to drop me off." She added. She turned to me and gently grabbed my arm. "Don't you have art class in a few hours, you were complaining about Mrs Saunders being pretty hard on late-comers." She smiled tightly, trying to get me to leave.

I didn't put up a fight. I just nodded and went back to my car. All the while, I kept thinking, Elena was hiding something from me about Vicki. I didn't want to read her mind. Sheila had warned me of the consequences of overusing that.

Turning back to look at Elena. I saw that she was gone. She must have gone inside. The door of the house was now closed. Seeing that, I picked up James' journal again, actually wanting to finish it this time uninterrupted. I still had an hour to to my first technically second class of the day, since history was still cancelled until a new teacher could be hired.

Flicking through the pages of the journal, I tried to find the page I was on. I wanted to continue where I had left off then I could maybe drive somewhere quiet and carry on. But before I could find where I was, I was interrupted again.

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on my window. I blew out a breath, annoyed at being interrupted. I turned to face the person who had rudely interrupted me. Storm blue eyes stared into my amber eyes as

Damon smirked, waving at me. "Open up." He mouthed. I rolled my eyes for god knows what time, unlocked my car and rolled down the windows. "Nice car." He commented before he got in without another word.

I stared at him in shock and a little disgust. "What are you doing?" I asked, quickly hiding James' journal before he could notice. "Get out!"

"Rude." He answered, looking around the interior of the car. He turned back to me and stared at me. "Y'know. I feel like we got on the wrong foot." He began.

"Yeah, I'd love to shoot you in your foot." I looked at him like he had grown two heads overnight. I turned away from him to start the car. Since, he wasn't leaving, I could just drop him off in the middle of nowhere. "Whatever game you're playing at, is not gonna work." I added, seriously this time without caring to look at him.

He grabbed my head and turned it to look at him again. "Before you ask. I'm not trying to compel you, not that I can, anyway." He tried again. "What I was trying to say is, we had an awkward start to our relationship."

Laughter bubbled out of me as I stared at him. "I'm sorry. Did you just say 'relationship'?" I laughed. "The only relationship you and I have is one where I put a stake through you."

"Huh. We really didn't have the best start." He said, scratching his head. "I'm trying to be serious, y'know."

"Well I'm being serious as well. Being an abusive dick to my best friend while also murdering your uncle slash descendant and a couple of town's folks plus hikers, is never a good start to any friendship." I answered. "Where to?" I asked, driving out of the driveway.

"I could use a friend." He commented before answering my question. "The Grill, I want a bite to eat."

I stared at him, craning my head. "See this is why-" I gestured to him. "-We would never be friends."

He made a frustrated sound. "No. No! Not that kinda bite." He protested. "See! I'm starting to think you just don't like me." He commented, crossing his arms and pouting.

"Oh no. Whatever gave you that idea." I said with no expression but a clear sarcastic tone. "Was it the constant threats and insults or the look of disgust every time you're around? Oh no." I tilted my head but kept my eyes on the road.

The ride to the grill was silent. Damon would now and then try to break that but I would shut him up every time. I drove into the grill's parking lot. I stopped the car and killed the engine. "I meant what I said. I want a friend." He brought it up again. "Since I've decided to stay in this 'lovely' town for a while to keep 'my baby brother' accompanied, I could use one...and you're loyal and trustworthy...not to mention you're a glowstick."

I laughed sarcastically and quietly, turning to look at him. I chose to ignore the 'glowstick' comment. "Loyalty and trust are earned, Damon." I retorted. "I can't just hand it to you on a platter just because you asked for it- not after everything." I breathed out.

He unclipped his seat-belt and leaned closer to me. "What if...I'm really lonely and I need someone?" He asked, closing the distance.

I leaned away to lean against the side door. "Then that's on you and your past mistakes." I answered back quietly, shrugging innocently.

He looked at me with an unreadable expression. Not saying anything. I stared at him, watching him just sit there. His storm in his eyes seemed alive in that moment. Then all of sudden it was gone. He glanced at a compass I had hung in my car and at me.

I took a deep breath. "You should go. I have class in half an hour." I said, unlocking the doors.

"When was the last time you went camping?" He suddenly asked out of the blue.

I was taken aback by the sudden question. It was a weird one. He went from wanting to be friends to asking me about camping. I tilted my head. "Why? Are you gonna kill some campers or something." I asked with a slight hint of a smile, rolling my eyes.

He didn't flinch or have his usual smirk. Instead he grabbed the compass and turned it over in his hands. "Answer my question." He stated, his expression was still hard for me to decipher.

"April."

"April?" He repeated, looking up at me. "Did you take this compass with you?" He asked, bringing the broken compass to my face.

I snatched the compass. "Yeah...why is it so freaking important?" I turned it over in my hands, examining the cracks in it. There was my initials at the back, still intact. It broke during an accident, if anything it was useless. I don't know why I kept it. It wasn't special like the Gilbert watch. "It's a useless piece of junk, anyway." I commented. I wasn't lying. It was just a cheap compass, my friends and I had bought before our last camping trip which ended in disaster. I almost hated Damon even more for bringing it up.

I glanced up at Damon. He looked deep in thought. Feeling my gaze on him, he lifted his head. "...Were you in an accident while camping? Memory gaps or anything?" He continued to interrogate me.

"Okay. We're done here." I cut him off, leaning over him and opening the door for him. I gestured to the door. "Get out! Now!" I barked out. Damon said nothing. Giving one last look at the compass in my hands he got out of my car. I quickly closed his side of the door and leaned back against my seat.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out of the parking lot. I could still feel Damon's eyes on me as I drove away. It scared me how he knew of the camping trip. I swallowed heavily trying to blink away the tears that threatened to spill out of my eyes. I cursed Damon for bringing it up. He was right. I did have a lot of gaps in my memory from that night.

* * *

English ended in a blur and before I knew it class was over. I walked aimlessly through the hallways, still trying to get my mind off that conversation with Damon. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the empty girls' bathroom. I glanced at the mirror, checking my hair, moving some strands away from my face. I took out my lipgloss and reapplied it. My hands started shaking as I did. Closing the tube, I put it away and peered closed to the mirror.

I took a step back and straightened my bubblegum pink skirt and tucked in my white shirt. The day seemed to drag on even more than usual. I took out my small notepad and looked at my schedule today. I sighed. I had a student council meeting today. Determined to get through it all and maybe check up on Vicki's search party later on, I took out my denim jacket and put it on.

Confidently I strode towards the student council room and flung the door open. Everyone in the room stood up. Caroline, sat in her usual seat at the back. She beamed brightly when I walked in and took a seat in my usual seat at the head of the table.

"You're late." Dana said in a sing-song voice. "Mr Peters, keep you behind again?" She asked, chewing her gum. I chose to not say anything instead I just shook my head and took out my notebook to take notes.

I looked around the room, taking a quick glance at the occupants of the room. Heather from the drama club and Josh from the music club along with some cheerleaders and a few football players were there. I also noticed Erica from the art club being there. It was almost a full house.

Heather brushed her long dirty blonde away from her face and turned to look at me with a bored look. "Can we get this thing started already?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

"—Uh, yes. We can." Will answered, flipping through some papers. He turned to me. "Ava. The floor is yours." He gestured to the room and handed me a sheet with today's agenda. Dana and I both stared at the sheet, checking the contents before giving each other a look and turning to look at the people in the room

"Well, this meeting is officially starting...now." I started, picking up a pen. "Today's agenda is kinda different and I want everyone's co-operation for this to be thee best Halloween ever."

The football players howled while the cheerleaders cheered in agreement. "Damn right it will be." Tyler cheered from the back. I saw Heather roll her eyes in annoyance while Josh looked a little frightened. Will seemed unimpressed by it all.

"Tyler." I warned him. The room became quiet again, allowing me to continue. "—Now where was I..." I tried again to remember where I was going with this. "Oh right— I think everyone knows, that this is my first Halloween here in a long time and I would really appreciate it if you all would give your all for tonight—" _"We get it. You came back recently. God why'd she have to be in charge." "It's her or Caroline. The lesser of two evils has the floor_ — _" "Can she get to the point already?" "I wonder if they'll let us put fake blood in the lockers?"_ I visibly flinched at the voices.

Caroline gave me a look of concern, seeing I had gone quiet all of a sudden. I quickly gave her a reassuring smile and carried on. "As I saying, the drama club are gonna be situated all around the school as um— " I paused to look at the sheet again. "Fright actors." I read out, gesturing to Heather.

"We want the school to be a part of the haunted house." Caroline spoke up looking at Heather. "So you guys better bring your A-game."

"Don't worry. We will." Heather reassured Caroline with a painted smile.

Dana twirled her hair and glared at the two blondes before nudging me. "Moving on." She gestured.

"Next, the music club." I pointed to Josh without looking. "You guys are manning the sound effects around the haunted house and the school. Make sure to double check."

"—Or triple check. If you have to." Caroline added.

"Right. Got it, we'll check the sound systems." Josh stated, taking out a pen and writing down notes.

Caroline beamed. "Excellent." She turned to look at me to carry on.

"Art club, I really hope you guys are done with props and the art that will be hanging around. The fake cobwebs, limbs etc." I stated, looking at Erica. I already knew that they were probably the only ones that had done the most.

Without missing a beat, Erica held up what seemed to look like a collage of pictures. "They are all done and here are the pictures we took of them. We already started putting them up in some parts of the school." She said, handing Aimee the collage.

Aimee passed it around to Will who put it in the center right in front of me. Dana then grabbed the collage and passed it to Chad and Jeff who finally handed it to Caroline. The collage went all around the room, everyone admiring the time and effort put into the props.

"Great work to everyone in the art club." Will congratulated them, looking pleased. "Now, it just occurred to me we are missing a few people." He said, looking around.

Dana and I glanced at each other and went over the list of attendance. Taking a bright purple pen, I circled three names. I sighed. Why were people so determined to make my life hard today. I just wanted to end this meeting fast. Dana smirked seeing my tired face, she didn't comment instead choosing to pass the list with the circled names to Jeff.

"We're missing the reps of the Woodwork, electroneecs and Sewing club." He read out. Will and I looked at him like he had grown two heads. "What?" He asked. "I just repeated what y'all highlighted."

"Electronics." Chad quietly corrected him.

Jeff stared at him annoyed. "That's what I said. Man. Elec-tron-eeecs." Oh my god. He was high or he was deliberately acting stupid.

"Let's move on—" Aimee tried to say when she was interrupted by three people falling out of the door and onto the floor. "And you are?" She asked, looking at three of them.

"Late." Will said, getting the list back and crossing their names off. "Take your seats. We don't have time— Halloween is today!" He sternly commanded them.

I watched with a tight smile as the three latecomers quietly took their seats next to the rest of the club leaders. "I'm Gwen from Sewing Club." The red-headed girl sheepishly introduced herself, trying to smile but failing. "Sorry I got lost. It's my first time, coming to the meeting and I— "

"It's fine. You're here now." I said, looking back down at my notebook and taking noted. I blew out a breath in annoyance and carried on writing. "Next on the agenda." I called out. "Costumes for the actors along with the mechanics of them." I pointed with my pen to Gwen. "Are they all done for tonight?" Gwen nodded eagerly. "Alterations and all?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Yeah, we actually got them done last week but then we had some setbacks but we're all fine now." She replied, biting her lips.

I stared at her hard for a second before moving on. There was no point in being angry for something you can't control. Instead I made a mental note to have the directions to the student council posted on the notice boards. "That leaves us with sets and lighting. Who wants to go first?" I asked, folding hands.

A boy with purple dyed hair put his hand up. "I'll go first." He said, his voice booming. "Hi, I'm Axel— "

"—Oh that's Alex from Spanish." Dana quietly gestured. Aimee snorted at the comment, covering it with a laugh.

"I was saying—um, I'm from the electronics club." Axel or Alex continued on. "And we're done with all the lighting and the effects. The smoke machines along with lasers have been wired with the haunted house and the school, we'll just turn them on when it's time." He read from a sheet of paper.

Will considered him for a moment. "Have you tested it?" He asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Yeah man. We tested it day and night over the weekend. It worked out great. You guys are gonna be blown by it all." Axel gushed.

"I'm sure we will and— that brings us to the woodwork club." I turned to the person sitting next to Josh. "Um. I'm gonna be quick here cause we're running outta time. So gimme a quick update bout the whole set and heavy prop situation."

"I'm Jake." He introduced himself, quickly before moving to take out a set of pictures. "Here's the interior and exterior of the haunt. Just to add, we had some help from the town council." He handed the pictures to Will.

"It's done then?" Aimee asked with an urgency. We all wanted this meeting to end so we could go get ready for the carnival. Jake nodded and turned to look at me.

I put all the pictures and notes into a file and quickly passed it to Chad to organize them and looked at everyone in the room. "Alright. Before we end this. I'm gonna quickly check in with the football team and cheerleaders." I stated, flicking through the papers. "Cheerleaders, you guys know where you're going."

"We know." Tiki called out, bored.

"Football—"

A loud eruption of cheers filled the classroom, not letting me finish. I saw Chad and Jake join in as well. "Yeah we know what we're doing. This night is saved. Thanks to yours truly." Tyler bragged.

Caroline and I glanced at each other, giving each other a look that screamed 'Tyler Lockwood is annoying'. Turning back to look at Tyler and other players, I nodded with a tight smile and clasped my hands. "Well then, that concludes this meeting. Great job everyone. See you all tonight." I ended the meeting and complemented everyone on their efforts. Picking up my bag, I got up and left the room.

To my surprise Matt was waiting outside the room, he looked deep in thought. I watched him debate with himself whether or not he should go in. I cleared my throat loudly, grabbing his attention. In an instant his head snapped to look at me.

He blew out some air and smiled at me. "Hey." He greeted me. "Sorry, I wasn't in the meeting. Something came up." He apologized.

I stared at him for a moment, taking in his appearance. There were some growing dark circles around his eyes. His eyes looked dull since the night Vicki disappeared but today it looked a little brighter. "It's fine." I assured him. "I understand—this meeting is not a big deal. The search party for Vicki is." I adjusted the strap of my bag and looked at him, sadly. I knew the only news he would get would be off Vicki;s body being found. If she hadn't transitioned that is.

I expected Matt to break down crying but instead he smiled a little and clutched my arms in happiness. "She called me this morning." He breathed out.

My eyes widened in shock. "Wha— Matt, that's great. She's alive. Oh my god. Thank God." I rambled. However, my relief turned into fear and disappointment when I realized this meant she was a vampire and that Elena had lied to me. I breathed out in disappointment.

"Ava, you're rambling." He pointed out but still smiling. "Anyways. She said she's fine...uh...said not to worry bout her." He paused trying to recall his conversation with Vicki. His smile died and was replaced with a frown. "But she didn't say where she is...or was" He sighed.

I lightly punched Matt's arm. "You're getting wrinkles, Matty." I said, flicking his forehead. "Not cute."

Matt sighed and gave me a hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you." I felt guilty. I didn't deserve his friendship. If I had just told the town council about Damon then he would not be worrying about Vicki.

"Matt—" I began before being cut off by Caroline.

She jumped on me and engulfed me in a hug almost making it hard for me to breathe. "Tonight is gonna be awesome." She gushed. She pulled back. "I've got yours and Bonnie's costumes. It's in my car. I'm gonna go and grab it in a bit— I got you two." She waved two fingers in my face. "I thought I'd give you a choice since Bonnie and I have been planning ours since forever—Oh hi Matt." She kept on going, pausing to greet Matt.

Matt gave her a tight smile and nodded in greeting before walking away. "Caroline, breathe." I said, looking away and starting to walk through the hallways.

"So what did you get for me?" I breathed out.

She beamed brightly following me and we both weaved through the students in the crowded hallways. "It's a surprise. I want you and Bonnie to find out at the same time." She carried on before stopping. "Wait. Please tell me you're not gonna be carrying that stupid camera around. Like I get it it's for the yearbook and all but you're also the student body president." She twirled a piece of her honey blonde hair around her fingers. "The camera is totally gonna clash with your outfit."

I glanced up and poke my cheek with my tongue, thinking about who was supposed to take the pictures for the yearbook now. I made a sound and turned to face Caroline. "Well you don't have to worry. It's not me, I think it's a freshman kid. Don't know his name." I replied shrugging.

Caroline squealed in joy, giving me a quick hug. "I'll be right back. Don't go home yet." She pointed at me as she slowly backed away from me.

* * *

I sighed, making way to my locker. I opened it, putting my books away. It was like I was there but not really. I blamed Damon for ruining my day. I hoped that my spirits would be lifted up by the time it was time for the Halloween carnival.

I felt someone tap me on my shoulders. Annoyed, I turned around, only to be greeted by a hug. "I see you're already doing your best impression of a zombie." Bonnie remarked, gleefully, leaning against her locker which was next to me.

"Very funny, Bon." I retorted with a pout, slamming my locker. "I had a meeting today and I've been running around to make this carnival a success."

She threw her hands in the air. "You love doing stuff like that. Don't you like, thrive of that kinda stuff. Being organized and in charge." I gave her a look that said it was something else. She turned to look at me. "What's up with you today? You were so looking forward to Halloween. You and Caroline even spent days brainstorming your costumes weeks before—which is funny cause you guys did more planning than me and her did in months."

"Yeah and then Damon Salvatore happened." I gave her a look of annoyance and fixed my jacket and slammed my locker shut. "He just has a tendency to ruin everything. Just his presence—"

"Wait. Damon?" She asked, grabbing my arm and turning me to look at her. "What did he do this time? And when did you see him?" She questioned, looking concerned.

I huffed. "Long story. I'll tell you later." Bonnie looked skeptical. "I promise." I put one hand over my chest. "Anyways, how's..." I dropped my voice and leaned a little closer to Bonnie and looked around. "...the whole 'witch training' going." I asked.

She rolled her eyes and opened her locker. "Grams said I'm not ready yet which is so unfair." She gestured to me. "Like you're full on throwing light around like it's a toy and I'm stuck reading the history and rules of magic and witchcraft." She complained.

"That...doesn't sound that bad..." I said with an awkward smile.

She paused putting away her things to give me a look. "Yeah says the one doing the cool stuff." She huffed. "Like come on. I'm dying to actually learn some spell-casting and brewing."

I snorted. "Okay, Harry Potter." I looked at her and leaned against my shut locker while making fun of her. Sheila was taking her time with Bonnie which was more than understandable. But I would love to know what I was but I didn't dare voice my complaints. I just nodded along, occasionally saying something while Bonnie rambled on.

Just as she shut her locker and turned to say something, Caroline strolled in. "I got both of your costumes." She said in a sing-song voice, carrying four bags. She passed one of them to Bonnie and handed me two of them. I looked at her confused. "Right! I bought two for you. So you have a choice between the two."

"Seriously?" Bonnie complained, opening her bag. Inside was her costume. It was to not my surprise a witch costume. Laughter bubble out of me while Bonnie glared at me. "It's not funny, Ava." She pouted.

I handed one of the bags to Bonnie and she took it with her free hand. "It's a little funny. A little on the nose though." She made a face and looked expectedly at the bag I was holding. I rolled my eyes and opened the one in my hand. "A fairy? Really Care?" I was the one complaining now taking out the light blue and gold off the shoulder dress with plastic wings attached. "Is this because of my height?"

"Yes and no." She looked proud at herself. "That's option one which I think you should totally go for. Better than option two, in my opinion." She grabbed the bag I had given to Bonnie and opened it, taking out another costume. "Huh. What do ya think?"

"Oh look! Another witch costume." Bonnie said sarcastically with her eyes narrowed.

"It's in case Ava wants to change her mind—we can go as the three witches, all three of us." She looked at us with hope in her eyes. Her smile died when she saw us giving her a blank look. She shoved the dress back into the bag. "Come on. Can someone please be excited that it's Halloween? I just wanna have fun, you know, just some silly, fluffy, Damon free fun." She complained, leaning against a locker.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and started putting away the dress when a necklace caught her eyes. She picked it up and held it in front of Caroline. "Hey, isn't this the one you got from Damon?"

"You got a necklace from Damon?" I asked, surprised.

Caroline looked at the necklace disgusted. "Yep. Wear it. Toss it. I don't care. I just want it gone. Hey, have you seen Elena? Do we know what she's wearing?"

"I was with Grams all weekend. Speaking of which, Ava. She was saying you should over some time." Bonnie answered looking at me. "As for Elena, I haven't talked to her. Maybe she's with Stefan."

I nodded and turned to look at Caroline. "She is with Stefan." I confirmed, putting my dress back.

"Riding to his castle on his white horse." She said mockingly.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Don't be bitter. It provokes wrinkles." She joked, walking away from the lockers. Caroline gave her a face, getting off the locker and following Bonnie. I looked at them both with a smile and followed.

* * *

I picked up the hair curler from Caroline's dressing table and straightened my hair carefully. Caroline and Bonnie paced back and forth bickering about something I did not care about. Our costumes hung in the background. In the end, I had chosen to go with the fairy costume. The witch one did not suit my skin tone. It was a neon green and black that I really didn't like.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

My phone rang out loudly, getting all of our attention. "Are you gonna pick that up or are you gonna let it continue?" Caroline asked, walking in front of the mirror. I gave her a look and turned off the curler, putting it down, replacing it with the phone in my hand.

I flipped my phone to see who it was. To my surprise it was Matt. I put the phone to my ear. "Hey, Matt. What's up?"

"Ava. Hey. Is this a bad time?"

I turned around to see both Caroline and Bonnie busy in front of the mirror. Seeing them busy, I moved to the bathroom, grabbing my dress, I locked the door. "No. I'm just getting ready for the carnival with Bonnie and Care." I paused, hanging up my costume in the back of the bathroom door. "Is everything okay?"

He didn't say anything for a second. "—Vicki came home." He said, slowly and carefully.

"What?!" My eyes widened in horror. "I mean. Oh my god. How is she? Is she at your house, right now?" I asked, trying to quickly compose myself.

"Yeah...she's here but she's being so...I don't know how to say this—she's more weirder than usual. Like I don't know what she's on but it messed her up."

I swallowed. Forgetting my costume, I unlocked the bathroom door and went out of Caroline's house. "Stay there. Make sure she doesn't go anywhere. And try to be a little careful around her. I'm on my way." I quickly hung up before Matt could get a word in. I took out my keys and drove straight to Matt's house, almost going over the speed limit.

* * *

Getting out of my car, I ran to his door. Slowing down when I saw Stefan arguing with Matt in the entrance. "—let me come in so I can explain myself." Stefan begged Matt while I heard Vicki protest from inside.

Matt looked at Stefan and glanced back at Vicki. He looked torn and confused, not knowing what to do. "Look, I don't know what's going on but I think you should leave now." He quietly asked Stefan.

"Matt…" Stefan tried again.

I decided then to make my presence known. "Hey..." I began quietly, looking at Matt, giving him a hug in greeting. Turning to look at Stefan, I glanced between the two boys. "Is there a problem here, boys?"

Stefan looked guilty before he tried to assure me it was all fine. "No." Matt replied first. "Stefan was just leaving." Stefan tried to protest but Matt gave him a tired look. "Please, now, Stefan." Matt then turned to look at me. "You should come in, Ava." He said going back inside.

"In a minute." I called out, turning to Stefan and folding my arms. I glared at him hard. "You lied to me." I began. Stefan opened his mouth and closed it again. "And if that wasn't the worst thing, Elena also lied to me." I accused them.

Guilt overshadowed his face, I watched as Stefan ran his hand through his hair. "I can explain." He tried. I put my hand up, telling him to stop. He backed away a little in fear. I scoffed, realizing that he knew what I could do and that meant Elena told him. "I was planning to tell you when she—" He gestured to the inside of Matt's house, clearly talking about Vicki. "—was a little better. More in control of herself."

I unclasped my arms and threw them in the air. "I could have helped."

"I have no doubt you could've but Elena said it would be safer for you and I agreed." I clenched my jaws at his explanation. "And I get that you probably can defend yourself." He gestured to my hands. "But it's best the less people know, it would have been easier to help Vicki." He continued.

Unbelievable. I almost wanted to laugh at how deluded Stefan sounded. I didn't say anything but instead I clapped loudly. Ignoring him, I walked over to the entrance to Matt's house.

Before I entered, I turned around and looked at Stefan. "Y'know, you and Elena definitely deserve each other." I said with a wide and mocking smile. Turning around and walking inside, slamming the door shut.

Matt hurried to the door and stared at me in concern. "Is everything—"

"It's fine. Just blowing off a little steam." I stated. He nodded and led me into his small kitchen where Vicki sat around the table clutching her head in pain. I stopped and stared at Vicki. Breathing in and out to control myself and willing the chills to go away. I shivered involuntarily as I walked closer to her. "Hey, Vicks. It's me Ava." I greeted her quietly.

Immediately, she sprang up and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so scared. Ava." She confessed quietly, away from Matt's ears. "Help me. I'm so—hungry." She sounded pitiful. I patted her back comfortingly. "What perfume are you wearing? You smell so—" She breathed out, close to my ear.

All of a sudden, the chill grew into a deathlike sensation, gripping me in it's vice-like hold. I felt Vicki's mouth close to my neck. Carefully, I unwrapped myself from her hug and stood at a safe distance. I cursed myself for leaving the necklace in my car. "It's gonna be okay." _No it's not._ I smiled, trying to assure her. "You're going to be fine. Maybe stay at home, tonight." I tried again.

Turning away from her to rummage through my bag. I pulled out a bottle of pills. I didn't know if medicine worked on vampires but it was worth a try. "Here." I handed some pills from the bottle to Vicki. "It's just sleeping pills. Not much but it should help you sleep through the night and calm yourself down." I turned to look at Matt and walked over to him. My phone went off right then, reminding me of the carnival. "Hey, if you don't mind. I'm gonna go back to Care's get ready for this thing—call me if you need anything." I said, walking out the door.

"Thanks for coming here." I heard Vicki call out from the inside as I walked to my car. Matt walked next to me. He wanted to see me off.

We reached my car and stared at each other for a while. "Still don't wanna change your mind about tonight?" I asked, sitting inside.

Matt leaned in on me from outside. "No. I don't know. Ava." He breathed out. "Vicki's back so I might stay in and look after her tonight." He said, looking up at the dark sky. I nodded understandingly. "Besides—" He turned to look back at me. "I don't even have a costume." He said with a boyish grin, leaning away from the car and making his way back home.

* * *

The school-grounds were buzzing with activity tonight. People were drinking dressed in simple and elaborate costumes. The tragedy of Tanner's death forgotten, the students and towns folks embraced the spirit of Halloween.

I blocked my ears with my hands, hearing a couple of screaming girls as they ran past me away from the haunted house attraction. I walked around with a clipboard. My blue-gold dress fluttered as I walked. A wreath of plastic flowers lay on my head with my perfectly curled hair framing my face. The plastic and fabric glow-in-the-dark wings, following my path gracefully. I walked around, checking each and every part of the carnival was running fine. There were members of the student council scattered around the school ground's who would occasionally wave at me now and then whenever they saw me.

"This is a success." I stated, coming to stand next to Caroline who was wearing a purple and black strapless witch costume. Bonnie stood next to her wearing a gold and black witch's costume. She was also wearing a blonde wig along with Damon's necklace, hanging off her neck. Both of them looked amazing.

Caroline turned to look at me and beamed proudly. "See I told you, this night was gonna be awesome and here we are. Everything is going great." She said, putting a hand on her hip.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, continuing to stir the cauldron in front of her. "Careful there you might jinx yourself there." She warned us with a look.

I laughed. "Is that official witch talk?" Caroline asked.

"Caroline!" I said with a laugh.

She shrugged about to reply when Tyler walked over to us. He was shirtless, I guessed he was dressed as a roman soldier or something. "Cider for the ladies. It's a Lockwood special." He offered us two red glasses of drinks

Bonnie looked at them in disgust. "No way. Last year I was hung over until Thanksgiving." She refused, turning to give me a look. She wanted to refuse as well.

"Ava?" Tyler asked me. He looked at me up and down, clearly checking me out.

I scoffed and gave him a disgusted look but quickly composed myself. "I need to be actually sober for tonight."

He looked at me in realization and nodded. "Right! Student prez. obligations."

"Lightweights, both of you. I am going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with." Caroline said, grabbing a glass and accepting Tyler's offer.

He grinned and clinked glasses with Caroline. "Sounds like a plan." He said, staring at Caroline. Bonnie and I shared a look.

* * *

I blew out a breath as I walked closer to the haunted house attraction. I strained my eyes against the bright neon blue light and the smoke surrounding the entrance. Teenagers with red solo cups stood scattered around the attraction. Most were clearly drunk.

My clipboard was gone, I had passed it on to Will to do the checks who was meant to pass it to Aimee. Instead, I came here to meet someone.

A lone person stood covered in fake blood and hospital scrubs with a fake stethoscope hanging off his neck and a fake limb in his hands. He looked bored, trying to get into the mood of the carnival but failing, miserably. "Hey." I greeted him with a smile. "You showed up, surprisingly." I said, hugging him.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around me. "It was really last minute. You look really good by the way. Caroline?" He said, wrapping himself.

"Caroline." I agreed. "She has good eyes though." I added with a little twirl.

He opened his mouth, about to reply but stopped. I caught him, looking over my shoulders. "You went with last year's costume too, huh?" I heard him say to someone behind me.

"Yeah. I didn't know that I was coming till an hour ago." I heard Elena reply. I turned around coming face to face with Elena who I had not seen since the morning. She was dressed as a bloody nurse carrying a limb. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a smile. "Ava. Hey, sorry for not calling or anything but you look good."

I stared blankly at her. Clearly I was still annoyed that she had lied to me about Vicki but I held that in for myself in front of Matt.

Matt looked between us awkwardly and tried to pick up the conversation from where she had left off. "...Me neither." He answered honestly about him coming here last minute. He then turned to the guy next to Elena who was wearing a black hoody. I could vaguely make out Jeremy's face under the hood.

"And you're going as...you?" Matt asked, trying to lighten the mood again. Jeremy rolled his eyes and pushed through the crowds to get away.

Elena gave Jeremy a face before turning to us to apologize for his behavior. "He's not talking to me right now. We got into a fight."

"Yeah, I got into it with Vic too, when she got home. I'm trying not to smother her tonight, but part of me didn't wanna let her out of my sight."

"She's here?" Elena asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, you can't miss her. She's a vampire." Of all the things, Vicki had to dress up as she chose a vampire. Normally, I would have found this hilarious but right now I was worried more on the fact there was a vampire on the loose here.

Shocked, I turned to Matt. "I thought, I asked her to stay home." I said, horrified at the idea of a fledgling vampire among the crowds of towns folks. "She told me she was tired and scared. What's she doing here."

He put his hands up in defense. "I tried. I really did but I'm not trying to smother her. If you get what I mean."

Elena and I nodded while she started panicking. The night was officially ruined. So much for all the preparation, I spent my time on. I heard Elena gasp. "Where did Jeremy go?" She asked me, looking around at the crowd. I turned to look around the crowd

"Elena what's the matter?" Matt asked, concerned. He grabbed her arm, trying to calm her down.

She ignored Matt, removing his hands from her arms and continued to panic. "I..I've gotta find him." She said, walking away but not before giving me a look.

Matt turned to look at me in confusion. "What the hell was that?" He asked me.

I swallowed. My eyes unfocused. "I don't know...I have to go. I'm sorry, Matt." I said, walking away.

I went to the student council room, most student council members were stood there just drinking and talking. They all stood up when they saw me and started to pretend they were working. Paying them no attention, I took off my wings and put it off to a side and ran to find Vicki or Jeremy.

* * *

I weaved my way through the students, dodging a couple. Occasionally one or two would come up to greet me or thank me for my efforts for the carnival, slowing me down.

"Oh my gosh. Look at you." I heard someone say as they grabbed me and turned me around.

I came face to face with Erica who was dressed as a Japanese ghost. She had a dirty white kimono on, caked in fake blood with a long disheveled black wig. "Erica." I simply stated. "Thanks for the compliment—but I really have to go."

Erica grabbed my arm. "But I didn't get to tell you about…" Her words were slurred and her eyes were unfocused. She was a nice girl but I really didn't have time for this.

I breathed out. "I don't have the time for this. You're gonna let go of me and forget you ever saw me." I said. Erica slowly retreated and nodded. Relieved, I walked away from her. When I turned around I saw everyone around me staring at me blankly, their eyes flickered to amber, one by one and they all nodded mindlessly before acting like nothing happened.

Horrified, I backed away from the hallways and ran down another hallway to find Vicki and Jeremy. I paused in the middle of the hallways. _"Where's Jeremy? Jeremy? Come on!"_ I heard Elena's voice in my head. "Cool effects, Prez." I heard someone say as they walked past me. I turned down to look at my hands in fear. They were glowing.

Breathe in, breathe out. I tried to calm myself down. Slowly, the glow disappeared. _"Stefan! Seriously_ — _needs to leave me alone. I just wanna have some fun with Jeremy." "I get it, I'm an uncontrollable monster who now feasts on blood."_ Vicki's thoughts echoed in my head. Focused, I followed them to a classroom.

Through the loud music and chatter of the carnival-goers, I could hear Stefan and Vicki argue back and forth. Looking around for anyone else, I pushed the door open and got inside, closing it behind me. "—harder for you to keep yourself under control." Stefan and Vicki's eyes snapped towards me as I entered.

"I'm fine." She retorted, keeping her eyes on me.

Stefan nodded at me in greeting, ignoring her remarks. "Really?" He asked her about her control. I quietly handed him a vial of vervain from my purse without taking my eyes off Vicki. In the darkness, you could hardly tell what was going on.

Vicki looked at him confidently. "Mmm hmm." She nodded. I scoffed loudly. She was bluffing. I could sense her about to lash out at the people here. She scowled at me and gave me a look to support her. "Ava, Stefan is hurting me." She tried to plead. I shrugged in response, saying nothing and instead walked over to lean against the teachers desk.

"I'm sorry, Vick but he's right." I finally spoke out. "You look bad. It's best if you go back home or with Stefan. Whichever is safer." I said with a blank look.

She turned around, looking betrayed. "You knew. All along!" I looked at her with guilt and pity. She really didn't deserve this but my hands were now tied, all I could do is keep her away from people to keep them safe from her and her safe from the town council.

Stefan rolled his eyes and got Vicki back on topic. "She knows that you're a new vampire and she's trying to help your brother." He defended me. "Now let me ask you. Are you really in control?"

Vicki nodded again. "No headache? Your stomach's not screaming at you? You're not feeling lightheaded or anxious or cranky like if someone looks at you the wrong way you could just rip their head off? Do you wanna know what that's called? It's called hunger and it's only gonna get worse and worse every minute that you pretend like it's not controlling you—" Stefan called out Vicki on her lies and got up close, he looked pissed to say the least.

"That's enough." I shouted. "You're about to make her cry. Emotional vampires are never good news or—so I've heard." I then glanced at the door and gestured to it. "Let's go." Stefan got the message and grabbed Vicki's arm, dragging her outside the classroom.

I went out the door first, looking around before turning around to glance at Stefan. I gave him a look, telling him the coast was clear. We walked the halls quietly with Stefan almost dragging Vicki by her arm to a less crowded place. I walked a little apprehensively, trying to block out the thoughts of other people and making sure my powers didn't flare up again.

* * *

"Thank God." Elena exclaimed seeing us and giving me a hug. "Thanks for helping. I'm sorry about—" She whispered in my ears before being cut of by Stefan.

Stefan dragged Vicki in. She looked bored and annoyed. "What's the matter?" He asked while Vicki glared daggers in the back of his head. She caught my eyes and gave me a glare as well. It was for the best. This was for her own good. I kept trying to tell myself.

Elena glanced at Vicki and looked at Stefan, relieved. "I lost track of Jeremy." She confessed, clasping her hands. "I was worried." She finished, glaring at Vicki.

Just then, Matt approached us. "What's goin' on?" He asked, looking at all of us standing in a semicircle.

Stefan was the first to jump into action. "Hey. uh, everything's fine." He tried to calm Matt down and get rid of him.

Seeing an opportunity to get away, Vicki leaned forward and started struggling against Stefan's grip. "I told you to quit bothering me." She complained, pretending to be angry.

"No. Vicki, don't do this." Elena tried to jump to Stefan's defense.

Vicki broke free of Stefan's hold and walked closer to her brother. "Matt, he won't leave me alone." She pleaded, grabbing his arm in an attempt to create more sympathy.

Matt turned to glare at Stefan. She knew how to play her brother so well that right now, he didn't even know he was playing his anger against Stefan."You need to back off, man." Matt barked, pushing Stefan.

"Matt, it's...it's okay." Elena tried again.

"No, it's not okay. What the hell is your problem?" Matt ignored Elena and shoved Stefan again.

He clenched his fists, ready to punch Stefan.

Knowing this was going nowhere. I grabbed Matt's hand. "Matt, Vicki's on some kinda drugs. Stefan and Elena are only trying to help." I lied to him. Matt nodded slowly backing away from Stefan as I let go of hand.

I heard Elena gasp as she grabbed onto my arm and looked at Stefan. "Stefan. She's gone." She said with a horrified look on her face before letting go of my arm and running off to find Vicki.

I almost ran to follow Elena, turning around to ask Stefan for help when I saw Matt try to stop him by turning him around. In anger, Stefan slammed Matt onto the wall. "I'm trying to help her." He said furious, clutching Matt's shirt. Matt, terrified, tried to grab on to the wall.

"Stefan!" I called out breaking him out of his trance.

Any longer and I knew his true self would come out, exposing him to Matt. Stefan glanced at me, letting go of Matt who fell down the wall. I watched as Matt pushed himself off the wall, trying to calm himself down. Stefan gave Matt one last look before following me to Elena.

* * *

Chasing after Vicki was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There were so many girls dressed as vampires just like her. Stefan and I searched the halls together while Elena had gone off on her own. We stumbled through the crowds, both of us being careful not to expose ourselves.

Stefan suddenly stopped. I watched him curiously as his eyes gazed downwards like he was trying to listen to something. "Stefan." I tried to get his attention, all the while keeping an eye out for Vicki or Jeremy.

Failing to get his attention, I decided to walk off and find her on my own. All of a sudden, I started feeling dizzy. Colors started to shift in front of my eyes. I tried to make sense of my surroundings and held on to a locker to stop myself from fainting.

_I found myself outside in the school parking lot. Buses were haphazardly parked. Taking a deep breath, I walked through the maze of buses which felt abandoned. It was almost quiet except the fading sound of the carnival inside, making this place feel either romantic or eerie. I decided to go with the latter._

_I felt a chill go down my back. There was a vampire here. I swallowed and foolishly followed my instincts. I found a couple leaning against each other. The boy was against a bus, kissing the girl who kissed him back with desperation. In my horror, she bit him and drew blood. The boy pulled back and pushed him off of himself, giving me a clear look at his face. It was a familiar face. Dark swept bangs and a black hoody. It was Jeremy._

_I gasped in surprise as I watched Vicki's face morph into a monstrous face as she lunged at Jeremy. "Jeremy! Run!" I screamed._

I gasped out loudly as I came back to reality. Looking around, I was back inside the school. Halloween decorations surrounded me along with drunk carnival-goers. Breathing in and out, I tried to calm my nerves as I stumbled to find the door to the school parking lot with the buses.

Finding the door, I flung it open and stumbled out. The cold air hit me like a ton of bricks causing my teeth to chatter. I tried to ignore and find the doomed couple. "—Vicki! Vicki, what the hell?! Oh, my god. No! stop! Vicki! No! Ah!" I heard Jeremy's screams before I saw them. I broke off into a sprint and ran to where I had seen Vicki attack Jeremy.

Just like in my vision, I watched, petrified as Jeremy pushed Vicki away. She started twitching as hunger overtook her, clouding her judgement. Stood in the middle of the buses, her hair falling to her face, hiding her true face.

Coming behind Jeremy, I stood right in front of Vicki just as she was about to lunge at him. "Vicki, no!" I heard Elena rush to protect her brother, grabbing a wooden plank and throwing me a look. But before she could act. I ran towards Vicki and threw an orb of light straight out at her. She flew through the air and landed on her back, her skin sizzling as she screamed in pain. Jeremy looked on in horror as he covered his mouth, tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Vicki's groans and screams echoed through the air. I stared at my hands in fear at what I had just done. While Elena looked at me in gratitude at what I had done.

But that didn't last that long as Vicki started healing. The burns slowly faded away as she pushed herself off the ground. She cracked her neck with a loud click. She flashed in front of me and grabbed my hands. "I really did like you, Ava." She said with a demented smile. "But I'm so damn hungry." She flashed her teeth. I looked at her apologetically before my hands lit up while Elena came from behind and smashed a wooden plank on her head. It had no effect. Elena's efforts were not paid and the only effect Vicki had was that her hands were burnt again by my light.

She threw me onto the hard pavement. My head hitting the ground, the plastic flower crown on my head scattering on impact. Then, turning her attention to Elena who slowly tried to back away from Vicki. She smirked before she tossed Elena into a pile of wooden boards like a ragdoll.

Painfully, I tried to get up. Drip. Drip. Blood dripped down from my head. I carefully touched it and then touched my neck. My necklace. It was still in my car which was parked at home. My hands started glowing as the blood dried up and I felt the wound in my head close up. I felt fine. But I didn't have time to ponder on this. Quickly I got up from the pavement and rushed to where Jeremy was. I gave him a look and stood in front of me, protectively. He leaned against the bus, mouth agape in horror of what was going on. Elena painfully tried to pick herself off the broken wooden mess when Vicki barred her fangs at her, preparing to lunge at her.

Stefan flashed in front of Vicki and slammed her into a bus. She hissed animalistically at Stefan, trying to break free of his hold. I breathed out in relief at Stefan's arrival. Jeremy ran out from behind me and called out Vicki, grabbing her attention. Annoyed, I shoved him behind me. In rage, she pushed away Stefan and disappeared into the night.

We all looked at each other in fear and horror. Elena clutched herself in pain, her hair was a mess while Jeremy stood by the side, confused. I glanced down at myself. My dress was covered in dirt and some blood, a sleeve had ripped. We all looked like a mess.

Stefan breathed out glancing around, looking for Vicki, he turned to the Gilbert siblings. "Go! Get inside" He commanded them, pushing Elena, turning to give me a look. I didn't follow the brother and sister pair, choosing to stay behind and help Stefan. I watched as Elena as she ran to Jeremy still clutching her hip in pain.

Stefan and I split up to look for Vicki again. In the darkness, it was harder to see. I willed my hand to glow again. Slowly, a soft glow emitted from my hand as I ran through the empty parking lot. I bumped into Stefan who gave me an impressed look. We both rushed through each of the buses looking for any sign of the fledgling vampire.

A loud scream of pain interrupted our search. "Ah!" Elena's screams rang out through the parking lot. I ran towards Elena and threw an orb straight at Vicki. She hissed loudly in pain as the light sizzled and burned her. But she ignored the pain and dove straight back to feasting on Elena.

I tried to get in between them and tried to prepare another orb of light as I watched Vicki pull away from Elena and dive back in when all of sudden she stopped.

There, a large wooden stake stuck through her chest, Stefan had staked her. She gasped in pain, trying to make sense of what just happened. I watched as tears slid my face as Vicki turned to give us all one last look, her eyes settling on Jeremy as he called out her name.

Jeremy got off from the floor, trying to get to Vicki, only to be stopped by Stefan who held him back. I put my hands to my mouth stopping myself from wailing. Vicki's face turned grey as dark veins appeared on the surface, tears escaped her eyes.

He killed her. Stefan killed Vicki. I watched in silent horror as Vicki dropped to the ground, giving one last glance to Jeremy before she dropped dead for the last time. And for good. I let go of an ugly sob as I fell to the floor. The light dying in my hand as I used both of my hands to cover my face, sobbing hysterically at what just happened.

* * *

Elena stood over Vicki's body clutching her bleeding shoulders while Stefan held Jeremy back. I stared numbly at Vicki's corpse, trying to make sense of what just happened. I sat next to it with my hands clasped. Tears dried up on my face. Makeup smudged.

I barely heard Elena ask Stefan to get Jeremy away. My attention was on Vicki's corpse. I felt Elena sit down next to me, silently breaking down. I didn't react, Vicki's skin had all turned a dead greyish-green and her eyes were left open, staring lifelessly at the ground in front of her. With a deep breath, I reached over and shut her eyes.

Elena sobbed louder after she saw what I did. "She didn't...she…didn't...deserve this." I tried to say. "She didn't deserve this." I shouted. "She was finally becoming happy." I felt tears sliding down my face. "She was finally becoming happy, y'know?" I said with a teary smile to Elena. "Matt was telling me, she planned to do her own thing one day when she got enough money and help them both through their hard life—become a sister to be proud of." I sobbed harder. "She was—pulling her life together and now...she's gone." I sobbed harder.

"Ava—" Elena tried to comfort me.

I pushed her hand aside. "No! She was meant to live." I scream out, tears blurring my vision. I leaned over her body, covering my face with my hands. "God. What...what am I gonna say to Matt?" I cried harder. "He trusted me. I...I...let him down." Elena wrapped her arms around me and tried to calm me down as I cried harder. "—Matt's gonna be so devastated." I spoke out between sobs.

She unwrapped herself from me when I calmed down, she pulled back and sat with her legs underneath her. We both watched Vicki's corpse in sadness. "You guys should go." Damon's confident voice echoed a little through the quiet parking lot as he walked in front of us. "I got this." He gestured to Vicki's body.

I watched numbly as Elena picked herself off the ground and made her way to Damon. "You did this. This is your fault." She accused him.

"You confuse me for someone with remorse." Damon retorted with his usual smirk. In anger, I watched as she tried to hit Damon but he grabbed her hand, stopping her. Elena struggled to get away from his grasp.

I tiredly sighed and glanced at Damon and then at my hand. A warm glow filled me as my left hand lit up. "Damon." I said quietly, warning him. I was too tired to deal with this.

He breathed out, letting go off Elena's hands. "None of this matters to me. None of it." He retorted.

"People die around you. How could it not matter? It matters, and you know it." She tried again, picking up her hand, she struck him across the face.

I took away from Vicki's corpse, looking at the two above me. The sound of flesh striking flesh made me turn to look at my friend in concern. Damon's eyes looked murderous as he stared at Elena's open wounds. "Get out of here, Elena. You're hurt." I breathed out, staring at my still lit up hand.

Damon glanced at me and nodded in gratitude. "You heard her. You need to leave. Your wounds are bleeding and you need to leave." He stated, trying to calm himself down. Elena looked at me and him, trying to make me leave with her. I refused and I stayed with Vicki. She gave me one last look before she walked away.

Ignoring Damon, I turned my attention back to Vicki. My hands were still lit up and I knew I was capable of healing. I'd done it before to Zach, to Uncle Nate, to Sheila and myself. I glanced at my hands, determined, I placed it over Vicki's wounds. I had brought Zach back from the dead, maybe I could…

A putrid smell of burning flesh filled the air as the light from my hands burned away Vicki's skin and flesh. Unlike, last time, she didn't heal. No, her flesh kept on burning and I kept on focusing on bringing her back to life.

"Burning the body is a good idea. Not sure we should be doing this out in the open." Damon remarked, a little concerned.

I swallowed and turned to give Damon a hard glare through my watery eyes. "I'm not burning her, you dick. I'm trying to heal her." I gestured to Vicki's slightly charred body. "I can heal people with this." I waved one of my hands before his face. "I did it before to my uncle and myself when she threw me to the ground. I can...I can bring her back." I said, trying to convince myself.

Drip. Warm blood dripped down my nose as I started feeling lightheaded. I was roughly stopped when Damon grabbed by arms, distracting me. "Stop!" He grabbed my arms, preventing himself from burning. "—You're not saving her, Ava. Look!" He gestured to Vicki's preserved but slightly charred body. "Look. At. Her." He tried again. "And look at you, you're overusing your energy and your nose is bleeding."

The glow in my hands dimmed and disappeared. I wiped my nose and blood covered my hands. "I'm fine. I'm—" I gasped out and coughed. I covered my mouth as I coughed. Blood. I was coughing blood.

"No. No, you're not fine." He retorted, shaking his head. I pushed him off him and weakly got up.

I turned to look at Vicki's corpse like Damon had asked me to. Like a spell had been broken, I saw what was really happening. Her wound was not healed, instead the edge of her wound was charred while the exposed flesh and organs were starting to melt under the heat. I choked up seeing this and nearly fell on the pavement when Damon caught me. "What did I—" I stopped, trying to stop myself from throwing up.

He let go off me and watched me carefully as I tried to stand up straighter. "You're really not fine, sunshine." He said, fixing my hair. I watched numbly as he picked up my discarded and half destroyed flower crown and placed it on top of my head. "You should go." He said with an unreadable expression.

I shook my head. "No, I'll come with you." Damon tried to protest but I glared at him. I watched as he picked up Vicki's body and loaded it in his car. "This is your fault." I said quietly, getting inside his car. He turned to me and breathed out, shaking his head. "If you weren't so hell bent on getting under Stefan's skin, Vicki would be alive." I continued on quietly.

* * *

"Are you gonna do the whole Elena thing? Right now?" He asked, driving to the Salvatore boarding house. I threw him a crazed look. Did I look stupid enough to provoke a blood thirsty monster? I may be shell shocked but I was not stupid. "Right. You're the smart one in your little group of friends." He remarked.

Neither of us said anything as we drove back from the Salvatore house to Elena's. We both had left Vicki's body in the cellar until Stefan and he could decide on what to do with it. We drove to Elena's house in silence. "Elena's probably gonna ask Stefan to compel Jeremy." I broke the silence, still glancing outside.

Damon made a noise. "Except it wouldn't be effective." He retorted, still weary of my condition. He was acting like I was a fragile piece of glass. "He's on the bambi diet which isn't as effective as the human diet."

I scrunched up my face in disgust. "Interesting." I remarked quietly. I filed away that information in my head, remembering to add that to the files in the family archive. "So why don't you do it? Why don't you compel Jeremy, instead?" I asked, staring at him.

"—And why would I do that?!" He complained. "Like no offence, Elena and Stefan don't trust me." He glanced at me for a second. "Why are you asking me this? Aren't you against the whole no secrets thing. I mean I remember that being a big thing in your family. Or did that change over the years?"

"Still is." I retorted. "And I'm asking because none of us are ready for what's to come, not yet. I've barely got a hold of my abilities and I have a feeling things are just downhill from here." I confessed. "That and Jeremy is Elena's brother so she calls the shots. I'm just making it easier for her to protect her loved ones."

He laughed. "Even if she lied to you." Not gonna lie, that stung a little.

"I believe in second chances." I stated, looking at Damon.

He pulled into Elena's driveway. "If I do what you ask of me—Will you give me a second chance?" He said, walking over to my side of the car and opening it, letting me out.

I took his hand and got out. "I'll think about it but I know you'll do it anyway." I said walking away. Damon looked at me confused. "For Elena. For Stefan." I turned to face him. "Because deep down you actually care underneath all of that." I gestured to him and walked to go greet Elena and Stefan.

Stefan and Elena looked to be in a deep discussion. "—I just want him to forget everything that happened." I heard Elena say to Stefan. Damon glanced at me, impressed that I had accurately predicted Elena's next move.

"If I did it, there's no guarantee that it would work...Because of who I am. Because of how I live. I don't have the ability to do it right." Stefan looked helpless and at loss of what to do.

Damon like I knew he would offered to help. "I can do it. If this is what you want...I'll do it." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's what I want." She said, looking lost but getting enough energy to give me a hug. "Please make sure he doesn't hurt Jer." She whispered in my ear.

I knew Damon heard that. I didn't even pretend. "I'll make sure he doesn't feed or attack Jer." I promised Elena.

Damon rolled his eyes while Stefan looked relieved. "What do you want him to know?" He asked instead, ignoring the little jibe.

"I want you to tell him that Vicki left town and she's not coming back. That he shouldn't look for her or worry about her. He's gonna miss her, but he knows it's for the best." She said, tears falling down her face.

Damon turned to look at me as he made his way inside the Gilbert house. I gave Elena an assuring look before I followed him inside. I waited outside Jeremy's room in case Damon did something to him and nervously bit my lip. My phone started ringing loudly breaking my train of thoughts. I got it out of my bag to see it was none other than Matt. I stiffened.

My hands started shaking, close to breaking down again. Throwing a glance at Jeremy's room, I ran downstairs to Elena's kitchen and put my phone and silent. Within minutes, Matt's attempts to call me multiplied, soon the calls were replaced by messages asking if I was okay or if I had seen Vicki or where I was. I couldn't answer any of those questions.

"Hey, Will." I started slowly, calling him instead of picking up Matt's calls or his messages.

"Ava. Where the hell are you?!" He replied, sounding stressed. "Everyone's looking for you, Dana is wasted so I'm doing everything now." He complained on the other end. "That's not all, the quarterback kept asking 'bout you. What was his name? Um. He was blond, his sister is that Vicki girl-"

I bit my lips, stopping myself from crying. "Matt." I breathed out. "His name's Matt. Can you tell him I went home?" I said, trying to fix my mess of a hair.

"You went home? Y'know there's still so much left to do. Even the mayor and his wife were looking for you." I didn't say anything and just let Will carry on. "...Is everything okay?"

 _No. Everything was a mess._ "Everything's fine. I just overreacted 'cause some guy threw fake blood and dirt on me. And then I got a killer migraine that just won't go away." I tried with a forceful cheerful tone.

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. It's fine. I'll tell Matt that."

"Thanks Will. Can you also tell him not to call me? Y'know the huge migraine right now. I can't do much cause of it." I lied. I heard Will agree to my requests before hanging up.

I didn't even notice that Damon was done and was in the kitchen until he spoke. "You're avoiding Matt, thought you were a good friend." I gave him a hateful glare and barged past him, hitting his shoulders on purpose as I tried to walk outside and go home. I didn't get far when Damon flashed in front of me and grabbed my arms, being careful to avoid my hands. "Woah-woah. I just wanted to say, I compelled Jeremy like Elena...and you asked me to."

I nodded. "I knew you would." I replied quietly, about to open the door and go outside. I crosses my hands and glared at him hatefully. "Y'know none of this would be happening if you never came here. I really do hope that—one day you'll realize the consequences of your actions." Damon let go of me, I pushed him away, walking out the door. I turned to look at him. "But I know you won't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: What Ava is something that I'm planning to reveal in season 2. It'll play in better during that season, she's definitely no one except maybe the Originals know about.
> 
> Anyways, this was probably the saddest chapter I've written so far considering how hopeless it felt writing Ava's breakdown.


	9. When The Party's Over...

Chapter 8: When The Party's Over...

* * *

"Vicki?" I swallowed nervously as the Sheriff looked at me questioningly from her seat. She stood in front of me with her desk in between us.

I watched her nervously, biting my lips to force down the urge to tell the truth. "I saw her yesterday at the carnival. She was dressed as a vampire, looked really sketchy." The sheriff nodded and gestured to continue. "That was the last I saw of her, I was kinda all over the place trying to keep the carnival going."

Light poured through the huge window the Sheriff sat in front of, illuminating the room. It was pretty but the heavy atmosphere in the room made it harder for me to breathe, let alone enjoy the view. It also didn't help that the Sheriff sat in front of the windows, stared at me with narrowed and suspicious eyes.

Sheriff Forbes picked up a piece of paper and turned it in her hands. "Well according to some members of the student council, you went home early." She glanced at me. "Unannounced."

I breathed out and nodded. "Yeah. I went home and now I have my voicemail full of people asking me where I went." I smiled tightly. "I had a huge migraine last night, so I went home. That and someone ruined my outfit. So I went to get changed but the headache got worse, started bleeding from my nose and coughing up blood." I stopped fiddling with my bloodstone necklace and looked at her.

Sheriff Forbes leaned back and started writing all of this down. I watched as she got up and poured me some water, passing it to me. "Here. For you." I took it carefully. Without hesitation I took a drink from the glass.

Sheriff Forbes relaxed and turned back to look at her notes. "Better?" She asked. I nodded with a tight smile and tried to carry on.

"Matt Donavan said you told him Vicki was on 'some kind of drugs'?" She leaned forward. "Now I understand you've been close with the Donavans since your return and I'm happy to see you support them but was Vicki really on drugs?"

I nodded and drank again from the vervain water. "Yeah..." I breathed out. "Actually no...I don't know." I said confused on whether or not to tell the truth.

She gave me a comforting look and tried to coax me to tell the truth. "Ava, is someone telling you to lie Vicki?" _Yes_. I wanted to say yes but I held my tongue. Instead I just stared blankly at the empty glass.

"Don't worry 'bout 'them' finding out." She said quietly. "You can trust me."

"Liz." I called out grabbing her attention. "No one's telling me to lie." I said quietly.

The Sheriff turned around so fast to look at me. She opened her mouth to say something when her eyes flickered to amber. Some tears escaped me as I continued. "Vicki was really on some drugs. I was trying to help her. She didn't want my help and then she left." I finished, wiping my tears away.

Sheriff Forbes' eyes flickered to amber again as she dumbly nodded and went back to write down what I said. "I'll take your word for it. Vicki was on drugs." She replied, like nothing had happened.

"Lines up with the others." I heard her mutter under her breath. She looked up at me. "Did Vicki tell you she was leaving town?"

"No." I said with a blank look. "She might have told Jeremy or Matt." I said trying to look uncertain.

Sheriff Forbes nodded. "So you believe Vicki really has left town?"

"Yes." I said without hesitation. "It's for the best." I added with an empty smile.

She didn't reply and called for a deputy to let me go. I got up and walked straight out of the door without looking back. Guilt was eating me inside out for lying to the Sheriff but Elena and Stefan had begged me to not tell the truth as it would put Stefan's life in danger. I had agreed but I wish I didn't. I wish I could have at least told her Vicki was dead and somehow not put Stefan's life in danger. But I knew that was nearly impossible.

* * *

Nervously, I ran down the steps of the Sheriff's office, wanting to get out of the suffocating place as soon as possible but paused on the way to my car when my eyes met a familiar face. I stiffened when his eyes met mine.

Stefan stood outside of the building, right in front of the car park at the foot of the stairs. His front facing the building with his hands in his pockets. He looked worried and guilty, all at the same time. I didn't blame him. He really did try his hardest to save Vicki but ultimately he failed when she lost it to her urges. I guess being a vampire isn't for everyone.

I glanced at him briefly, deciding in my head that it would be best if I ignored him. I had nothing against Stefan but I just wanted a day off to clear my head and properly mourn Vicki's death and my friendship with Matt and maybe take a day or two off the whole supernatural mess.

"Ava. Hi." Stefan quietly but nervously greeted me from the foot of the stairs. I adjusted the strap of my bag and prepared to ignore him and walk past him.

"I'm sorry for everything." He tried. I glanced at his face and stared hard. He looked apologetic, like he really meant unlike his brother who I knew had forgotten about Vicki by now.

I swallowed and looked around to check if we were alone before turning to face him, giving him my full attention. "Why didn't you just use the vervain I gave you? Why did you have to stake her?"?" I asked quietly with a hint of desperation.

Guilt flashed in his green eyes. "I panicked. I wish I did use the...vervain."

I closed my eyes. The image of Vicki's cold dead body flashed across my eyes, haunting me. The guilt eating me alive. I knew I wasn't in the position to hold grudges not when I too could have prevented this tragedy. I didn't want to be a hypocrite.

I looked away. "Elena won't notice but the Sheriff is really suspicious 'bout the whole thing." I could tell because unlike Elena, my parents didn't keep me in the dark about this kind of thing but I wasn't going to say that to Stefan. The last thing I wanted was to involve them.

"She is?" He asked, clearly on edge.

I nodded. He looked deep in thought. I debated with myself whether or not to tell Stefan about the council. In the end I decided it was best if he knew. I turned my back to Stefan to glance at the Sheriff's office again, to check if Stefan and I were alone. There was still no one but us.

"I mean she is part of the council." I added quietly. His head snapped to me, his mouth agape. I watched him panic for a few seconds. "But I don't think she suspects you." He looked unconvinced, guilty and panicked. "I...don't blame you, Stefan." I breathed out, tired of it all.

Surprise flashed across his face as he gazed at me. "You...don't?" He questioned and turned his back to me for a moment. "I get it, if you would. But you...don't?" He asked again.

I shook my head. "I don't deserve to—" I replied quietly. "—I'm as much to blame as you." I went on. "If anything, I blame Damon." I added as an afterthought, looking away from Stefan.

Stefan nodded. "I'm still sorry." He apologized again. "I really wanted to help her."

"I know, I could tell." I smiled sadly. "Don't beat yourself up."

"You shouldn't beat yourself either. You tried as well." He said. "I want us to be friends, Ava. Not because of Elena but because—"

"Sure." I agreed in an instant. "But just so we're clear, this 'friendship' only extends to you not Damon or any evil family members you have hiding somewhere. I'll probably take Elena's side more when you two have an argument that is until I get to know you—cause right now, all I know is you're one half of the mysterious Salvatore brothers who happens to be a creature of the night. Deal?"

He laughed. "Sounds good to me."

"Since we're friends now. I will tell you this. No matter what Elena says to you just know deep down she really loves you. I can tell from the way she looks at you. You two have something special" I paused. "And I know, I haven't been in contact with her since I was like ten but some things never change."

"I don't know." Stefan replied lost in thought. "I don't know how I'm going to get on her good graces after this."

"No secrets would be a good start." I pointed out. Stefan laughed. "But seriously speaking. She may seem like she's mad but she actually forgives very easily. Trust me, she can't hold a grudge to save her life." I continued on with a smile.

My smile died when I saw Stefan's face harden and go back to an apologetic look. I turned around to look behind me. I froze when Matt's eyes met mine. I turned back around to look at Stefan. "It was good to see you, Stefan. I'll see later." I quickly said trying to get away from Matt.

Stefan nodded and turned to focus on Matt. "I was trying to help her Matt. That's all." I heard Stefan say as I walked to my car.

I weaved through the almost empty parking lot to get to my car. The cool fall breeze along with the coldness from being around Stefan made it almost unbearable for me to walk. I pulled my grey cardigan closer to my body, almost hugging it as I quickly walked to where my car was parked. I silently applauded myself for parking it so far.

Before I could get in, I felt someone grab my arm and spin me around. I closed my eyes in surprise and hissed in pain at the grip on my arm. I tried to loosen the strangers grip on my arm without opening my eyes.

"Sorry." I heard Matt mumble apologetically as he loosened his grip. Slowly I opened my eyes. Deep blue eyes greeted me. Worry floating in them. "Ava." He breathed out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Matt." I replied blankly. "Hi." I greeted him with a tight smile. "I'm sorry bout Vick." I said, trying again to get into my car, only to be stopped again by Matt. I really didn't have enough energy to compel him or whatever it was I did.

Matt groaned in annoyance. "I know—why do I feel like you're avoiding me?" He asked, tilting his head and staring at me, frustrated. "Did...did I do something last night? Was it the fact that I stopped Stefan from helping Vicki? Just tell me what I did because it feels like you're avoiding me." He almost shouted out while he dropped his arms to his side and looked at me like a lost puppy.

_Yeah, I am avoiding you because I let your sister die._ I wanted to say those words. But I held myself back. I had already reluctantly promised Stefan and Elena that I wouldn't tell anyone what had happened last night. I gritted my teeth and looked at Matt. "No. I'm not avoiding you." I lied. "I've had a huge headache since last night."

Matt instantly put his hand to my forehead. "You seem kinda hot. I mean your temperature...I mean you're kinda hot too. I mean..." I laughed watching Matt fumble with words before coughing. I turned away from Matt and started coughing violently. "Oh my god! You really aren't okay." He stated, looking at me wide eyed.

"I'm fine." I bit back, more harshly than I wanted to. I watched as Matt visibly flinched at my harsh tone. "I'm fine." I repeated with a kinder tone and a painted smile. "I just need a break from stuff."

He raised his eyebrows, questioningly. "What kinda stuff?" He asked carefully.

"Stuff stuff." I added vaguely. I just wanted to get away from Matt. Everytime I looked at him, I was met with Vicki's cold dead eyes.

"Oh okay." He put his hands in his pockets. "Look I don't know what happened between all of you last night but you need to get some help." He said, taking one hand out of his pocket and putting it on my shoulder.

I shrugged it off in an instant. He looked hurt for a second before concern eclipsed his face. "Ava...you're bleeding." He gestured with wide eyes at my nose. Quickly he sprang into action and handed me a tissue.

I grabbed the tissue as I felt warm crimson drip onto my grey cardigan, splattering it red. I carefully put the tissues to my nose, trying to stop the bleeding. "—Your eyes." I heard Matt gasp from the side.

I turned away from Matt to look into the side mirrors of the car. To my surprise, there was little blood pooling at the corner of my eyes. I dabbed some of the blood away from my face, trying to clear my vision and get rid of the blood.

I breathed in and out. "I have to go." Before Matt could protest, I got in the car and locked it in case he tried to stop me. I glanced at him, apologetically with a hint of guilt before I drove all the way home.

* * *

I stood underneath the shower for what felt like forever trying to stop the blood from flowing out my nose, mouth and eyes. I had practically gone numb staying in the shower for what felt like hours. I wanted to wash the blood away with the guilt. But I knew I couldn't.

I closed my eyes trying to erase everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. Vicki's death. Matt's desperate face. Stefan and Elena's guilt. They didn't go away. Vicki's cold dead eyes stared at my bright amber eyes every time I opened my eyes.

_When I opened my eyes I was back in the dimly lit school parking lot. Just like that night, I ran towards Elena and threw an orb straight at Vicki. She hissed loudly in pain as the light sizzled and burned her. But she ignored the pain and dove straight back to feasting on Elena._

_I tried to run towards her this time and pry her off Elena myself before Stefan got to her. Maybe I could try to get inside her head and get her to leave Elena alone. But I couldn't. I felt frozen in my spot. Not in control of my actions._

_Instead I felt myself try prepare another orb of light. I knew this wouldn't do anything. I tried to stop myself and tell Vicki to run. I just watched Vicki pull away from Elena and dive back in immense hate and anger when she stopped._

_A large wooden stake stuck through her chest, Stefan had staked her just like that night. She gasped in pain, trying to make sense of what just happened. She stared at me with an accusing look. "Help me." I could've sworn I saw her beg me to save her with her dying breath. But I was frozen in time. Tears slid down my face as Vicki turned to give us all one last look, her eyes settling on Jeremy as he called out her name._

_Her face turning grey as veins began to protrude through her face. Jeremy's cries faded out into the background with a white noise feeling my senses._

I coughed loudly, coming back to the harsh reality. Tiredly, I leaned against one of the walls and stumbled to turn off the shower. Breathing in and out. I tried to compose myself. I was Ava Fitzroy. I was perfect. Perfect student. Perfect daughter. Perfect friend…

I repeated that in my head. It was superficial and made me sound and feel shallow but I'd rather be shallow than drown in guilt.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a soft bathrobe. Steam poured out of the shower as I walked out. I wiped the condensation on the mirror and gazed at myself. My lips had turned a slight blue, skin pale and eyes lost. I clutched the bathrobe around me tighter, walking into my room, closing the bathroom door behind me.

I stopped and went straight to my closet, picking out a new outfit. My blood splattered and destroyed Halloween costume and the grey cardigan lay discarded in the laundry basket next to the closet. I stared at it with dull eyes.

Mindlessly, I ignored it for a second to get a fresh outfit out of my closet. A mustard yellow dress and a thick black denim jacket. To be perfect I had to look perfect, that was what my mom had once told me. This time I remembered to wear my bloodstone necklace. I picked it up and placed it around my neck. I threw on a pair of black combat boots, not trusting myself with heels given my surroundings with vampires running around.

I looked myself over in the mirror again. I looked dead. The blue in my lips were still there. But now I could see just how dead I really looked. There were dark circles from a lack of sleep, my skin was deathly pale. I sighed. At least there wasn't any blood on me anymore. I slapped on some light makeup, opting to skip my signature red lipgloss for a baby pink. I even opted to wear some blush to make me look alive.

"Oh Miss Fitzroy!" Maria's surprised voice startled me in my seat. I turned to face her. Her head poked through the door, her bright ginger hair tied in a braid spilled out in front of her. Her eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be home now." She bowed. "Sorry for not knocking."

I nodded with a tight smile and got out of my seat to plug in the hairdryer. I didn't say anything. I focused on getting ready. Now and then, I'd see Maria in the reflection of the mirror, making the bed and cleaning the room. I dried and styled my hair into a simple braid. I froze when I saw her pick up the laundry basket.

"Don't touch that!" I barked out. Harsher than I wanted to.

Maria dropped the basket in surprise and fear. I widened my eyes and got off my seat, walking over to her to make sure the basket was shut. She looked at me nervously. "—Sorry, Miss." She began, pausing to stare at the basket. "I was just goin' to do de laundry." She said quietly.

I breathed out, trying to even out my breathing and fix my composure. "It's fine." I replied. I painted a smile on my face and looked at Maria, friendly. "Sorry, for scarin' you, Maria." I said with a sheepish smile.

Maria breathed out in relief. "Must've had a rough day." You have no idea. I didn't say anything but just nodded, still smiling. She picked up the basket before remembering what I said before. Carefully, she put it back where it was. "I'll pick up de' laundry later?"

"You don't have to." I said, picking up the basket myself. "I was thinking of doing my laundry myself." I said, pretending to be helpful.

She looked confused. "Oh no! I can't le' yah do tha'." She protested, her accent becoming more prominent. "It's me job. No' young Miss'."

"It's fine. Really." I tried again. She looked unconvinced. "I insist." I said. Her eyes flickered to amber and she dumbly nodded, backing away from the laundry basket. Forgetting the basket. She turned to do some other task. My eyes felt tired. I felt drained. My vision, getting blurred.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

I felt something warm drip down my nose. Holding my hand out to catch the drops. I stared at it in horror. Blood. I was bleeding again. Right at that moment, Maria turned around. Her bright ginger hair coiled around her neck. Her eyes widened as she took in my appearance.

I rushed towards the vanity mirror, trying to have a look at my reflection. My outfit was fine. But the bleeding was back. Maria sprang into action and held some tissues up to my face, trying to stop the bleeding. Her hand shook nervously. She was scared.

She pulled back the tissues and checked them. They were caked in blood. She stared at it in horror. I watched in silence as she threw the used tissues into the bin and plucked more from the box, holding it securely to my face. She breathed in and out, trying to calm herself.

I barely held onto my consciousness. I felt so tired. I didn't know why. Tiredly, I put my hand over hers and tried to hold the tissues in place. I gasped as a static shock went through me, there was a buzz in the air. My eyes no longer felt heavy. I felt energized.

Maria let go, slowly. "I'm gon' get de first aid kit. 'Kay?" She asked me, her voice laced in concern. I nodded. "Good. Hold this in place 'til then." She gestured to the fresh tissues, I held to my face. I watched as she got off the floor and went to the door. She stopped and turned around, I watched as she swayed a little. Her face looked a little pale. "St...stay right there." She asked, a little tired.

I nodded. Satisfied, she tried to stand a little straighter and look more awake as she went to get the first aid kit from the kitchen or the study. I stared back in the mirror. My dark circles which peaked through my concealer were gone. My skin looked healthy. In fact, it looked like I was glowing. My light brown eyes shimmered bright amber before reverting to it's usual light brown with amber flecks.

I tilted my head and pushed my face to the mirror. My face really looked like I was glowing. Quickly, I took out a makeup wipe and wiped off my foundation and concealer. Underneath it all, my skin looked perfect. No pores or blemishes. I sat back down in shock.

I threw the tissues and the used wipe in the bin. I don't know what was happening to me anymore. The bleeding hadn't stopped yet. I needed some air. Thinking this, I turned to look at the double doors which led to the balcony. Getting up from my seat, I swung the doors open and stepped out.

The cool fall breeze blew past me, making me shiver a little. I instantly felt better. The buzz in the air was still there. I focused on it as I paced back and forth the balcony, still holding some tissues to my nose.

I stopped and stared out at the garden, absentmindedly stroking a rose flower. All of sudden, the flower felt dead. I shifted my attention to it. The plant slowly died in front of my eyes. It's leaves wilting, flower petals falling and shriveling away. I drew my hand back. In accident, my left hand lit up with the warm golden glow. I stared at it and tried to will it to go away. I didn't want my bleeds to get worse.

To my surprise, I felt the buzz fading away as little specks of light drew itself towards my hand, disappearing. I felt the buzz fade away slowly. I turned to look at the flowers. They were alive again. And my nose had stopped bleeding. The light faded out, the buzz disappearing. Instantly, I felt better like someone had injected me with an instant dose of energy. Or I had just drank a gallon of coffee with extra caffeine.

Slowly I drew the tissues away from my face and stared at the dried blood. "You're bleeding again?" A voice cut into my thoughts. I looked up and came face to face with Damon.

"Damon." I greeted, tensely. I looked behind me to check I was alone. Maria was still not back. I turned away from him and closed the door. I let out a sigh of frustration. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, already annoyed.

He laughed. "Don't pout, firefly." I rolled my eyes and leaned against the closed doors. "Here, I was thinking we were bonding."

I gagged. "Yeah. No." I shook my head. "I rather bond with a snake than you. And I hate snakes. I have a deadly fear of them as well."

"Wow. Nice to know, I can help you to get over your fears." He smirked, folding his hands and looking up. "I'm just that great." He looked proud of himself.

I scoffed, clutching the bloodstone necklace. I turned the bloodstone in my hands, staring at him with wide eyes. "Un-fuckin'-believable." Damon's head snapped to look at me. "How could you be so...so nonchalant. So uncaring after what you did." I accused him, folding my arms, not even bothering to threaten him.

"No threats?" He asked with his eyebrows raised. I glared hatefully at him. He breathed out. He sobered quick, when he finally realized I was being serious. "You're serious..." He trailed off.

"You thought I was joking?" I questioned, offended at the idea.

He shrugged. "I thought you'd be slightly over it—"

My left hand collided with his face. In pain, I flinched and quickly drew my hand back in pain. I hissed, clutching my hand, trying to soothe the pain. The bloodstone felt warm against my chest as the pain slowly faded. I cursed myself for being so impulsive. God, I was becoming Elena.

Damon moved his jaws and dusted off his face. The bright angry red mark quickly faded from his skin, leaving it unblemished and unharmed. "What was that for?" He asked, annoyed.

"That was for Vicki. You bastard!" I shouted in rage. I breathed in and out. "I can't even look at Matt in the eye anymore." I paused to catch my breath. "Knowing that I...I let his sister die—"

He took my arms into his hands, being careful to avoid my hands. "You didn't." He said quietly. "Remember. It was me." He gestured to himself with his free hand and spoke with a smile. I wanted to wipe that stupid smile off his face. He looked away for a second. "And Stefan, I guess." He added shrugging, his smirk back on his face.

I scoffed, pulling my arms back from him. "Stefan didn't have a choice if you—you just let things be."

He rolled his eyes, looking around the balcony. His eyes stopped wandering. I watched as he carefully took a step back. He looked like he was struggling with himself over something. "—Do me a favor and get rid of those bloodied tissues. Better yet, go inside." He asked, turning his face away from me.

I looked at me and then looked at the tissues in my hand. From where I stood I could see black veins appearing underneath his face. Understanding what was happening, I slowly backed away till my back hit the door. I fumbled around a bit, trying to find the door handle, all the while keeping an eye on Damon.

I found the handle, turning it, I landed on my back when the door opened. I picked myself off the floor and quickly went to throw away the used tissues and wash my face. I hoped that Damon would be gone.

When I got back, he was still there on the balcony. Maria was still not back or maybe she did come back and Damon had compelled her away. I clenched my jaws and shut my bedroom door this time and walked over to him. Being careful not to cross the line between the balcony and the bedroom.

He had his back turned to me, gripping the iron rails of the balcony. His ears perked up when he sensed me. "Whew, that was close." He smirked. His face was back to normal. "You really need to stop bleeding everywhere."

I crossed my arms and tilted my head. "You're acting like, I like losing my blood." I looked away.

He threw his hands up in defense. "Hey. Some people like that kinda stuff. I'm sure there's an actual kin—"

"—Don't you dare finish that sentence." I pointed at him.

"I was just sayin—"

"—No." I shook my head.

He shrugged. "You probably overused your little glow-in-the-dark thing and now you're suffering." He commented, staring at me.

"Yeah, I figured." I retorted. "And whose fault was that." I muttered lowly under my breath.

"I heard that." He replied in a sing-song voice, touching one of the roses.

"Don't touch the flowers." I barked out.

He drew his hands away and put it up in defence. He turned on his feet and stared at me again. "Y'know I could help with your little problem." I watched as he bit into his wrist. Blood poured out from his wound as he offered it to me. "I'm feeling nice, so here." He gestured to his wrist. I looked at him disgusted. "Don't look at me like that, sunshine. Vampire blood heals people. It'll make you feel all good in no time."

I looked away and took a step back. "Is that what you did to Vicki?" I breathed out. "Offered her—No, you gave her your blood, healed her and then killed her, turning her into a vampire."

"Huh. I thought I was exaggerating but you really are the smart one." He scratched his head. "You figured it out."

"What do you want, Damon?" I asked, ignoring what he had said. "I know you didn't come here because you were concerned or anything..." I sounded tired and bored.

He scoffed and pretended to look offended. "Excuse me for trying to be a better per—" He stopped when he looked at me.

He cleared his throat. His face shifted to a predatory look. I shivered as chills ran down my back. "Alright. I need your help. It's Stefan's birthday today and I just know you're good at planning this kinda thing. Last night was a good show of your planning skills."

I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. "Oh right." A look of realization flashed across his face. "I meant the carnival thing."

I rolled my eyes, bored. "Caroline's better at planning these things than me." I commented absentmindedly.

"Is that you giving me permission to go to Caroline?" He looked a little hopeful.

I glared at him hard. "Stay. Away. From. Caroline." I spat out. I loosened my braid a little. "I'll arrange a birthday party for Stefan at the Grill tonight." I agreed, a little reluctantly.

"Great! Just make sure almost everyone in town is there. I'm sure you'll manage. You seem great with people. Oh and—"

"—I'm only doing this for Stefan, Damon. I don't care 'bout you. Stefan needs a break from you." I added.

Damon looked at me confused. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I need a lot of people. Big crowd. Invite everyone."

"Got it the first time around." I said, waving at him with two fingers.

A knock on my bedroom door made me turn around. Maria was back. I turned my back to him, ready to go open my bedroom door but stopped. This looked too good to be true. Damon was trying to be a good brother. He wasn't a good brother. He wasn't even a good person. Something was up.

I turned back around to face him. He was still there, waiting for me to open the door so he could leave when Maria came in. "What are you actually planning, Damon?" He looked at me confused. He was faking it. I could tell from a distance he was. "You're not a good brother, let alone a good person. So save whatever bullshit excuse you have." I added, folding my arms.

He opened his mouth and closed it again. "Nothing really flies past you, does it." He said with an impressed and annoyed look on his face.

"I'm not Elena or Stefan. I don't give people the benefit of the doubt. I would rather be paranoid and safe than trusting and dead." I retorted. "So what are you really up to?"

He shrugged and paced around my balcony, almost circling me. "Well—since you asked. I don't know if y'know of the town council, not the normal one but the one where they are all secretly vampire hating hunters. That town council." He paused. "Judging by the lack of surprise you probably know or you're very tired of me—"

"Both." I replied monotonically.

"Thought so." He stopped pacing to look at me. "Where was I? Right. The council now suspects that vampires are in town. I mean of course they are. Stefan and I are literally here looking this good. Mostly me but y'know." He gestured to his whole body. I made a sound of disgust. "Anyways. The sheriff suspects vampires that can walk in daylight. I just need to throw her off my trail—"

"—And what better way to do it with a mass gathering where you prove to the sheriff, you're on her side." I added, fiddling with my necklace. "You're probably gonna turn some unfortunate soul into a vampire and throw them to get staked by council. Did I get that right?" I asked with a sarcastic tone.

He whistled. "Scarily right. Damn. You're good at this kinda stuff." He walked towards me. "I'm not gonna turn anyone into a vampire." He defended. "I'm just gonna try to throw her off mine and Stefan's back."

"Whatever." I ignored him and walked towards the door. "I'll arrange the party for **Stefan.** You stay away from Caroline. And try not to ruin Stefan's birthday—which by the way includes not messing with his relationship with Elena or messing with him in general." I finished.

"Ugh. Fine." He agreed. I watched as he got on top of the railing, balancing on it perfectly. "Oh! Before I go. I should tell you. Be careful not to get your blood anywhere close to vampires." I raised my eyebrows. "Hey! I'm tryna be helpful now. You have no idea how sweet your blood smells to us."

"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep that in mind." I retorted dryly, opening the door to let Maria in.

Maria clutched the first aid kit in her hands and looked startled when I opened the door. She still looked a little tired. The sudden tiredness didn't leave her just yet. There were now some dark circles forming under her eyes. I felt bad. I didn't mean to do what I did.

She waved the kit in front of my face and let herself in. I watched as she carefully set the kit down on the dressing table while she sat down on the floor. "Found the kit." She said, triumphantly. "Oh! It was a journey, Miss." She went on.

I stood there near the door, unmoving. I simply stood there. I glanced at the open doors to the balcony. Damon was gone. The balcony looked empty, like no one had been there. The flowers along with the empty easel, white lawn chairs and table were the only ones there in the balcony.

"You 'kay, Miss?" Maria's quiet and timid voice drifted through the air as she called out to me from the floor next to the dressing table. "Why don't ya come an' 'ave a seat?" She gestured to the seat next to the table.

Mindlessly, I went to take a seat. "I think I'm better now, Maria." I commented, staring blankly at the mirror. I picked up my lipgloss and re-applied it. "Thanks but you can go now." I watched in the reflection of the mirror she stared at me unmoving and confused for a good five minutes before preparing to leave.

I watched as the door closed with Maria leaving. Sighing, I got up from my seat and picked up the laundry basket and took it to the empty laundry room. I threw the clothes in and made sure there was no trace of blood or dirt in the basket before closing the washing machine and starting it.

I made my way back to my room. On my way there, I flipped open my phone and started calling everyone and anyone I knew to invite them to Stefan's birthday party. A gnawing feeling in the back of my mind whispered at me to stop and to just let it be. That I shouldn't arrange this. But I ignored it. The invites were sent. The location was set. And things were already in motion.

* * *

I rang the doorbell and stood back, waiting for the door to open. Sheila Bennett peered through a half open door, craning her neck to see me.

Noticing me, she beamed and opened the door. "Ava." She greeted me with a smile. "Bonnie left earlier, already." She stated. Seeing my lack of reaction she shifted a little. "How can I help you today, child?" She asked leaning against the doorway.

I swallowed nervously, trying to find the words to describe my problem. "It's a little complicated. I don't know—don't know how to explain it." I said moving my hands trying to describe it.

Sheila nodded understandingly and moved away from the doorway. She gestured to me, to follow her inside. I noticed that she was careful not to invite me in verbally. That was smart. I kept that in mind next time, I have a vampire at my door. She led me to her living room and sat down on a white armchair. She pointed to a similar colored white couch and I took a seat next to her.

She got up to gather some books, candles, a bowl of water, a bowl of dirt and closed the curtains, letting the room submerge in total darkness. I watched in silence as she lit some candles with her magic and asked for my hands. The candle light illuminated her face and gave her somewhat of an intimidating appearance. I passed my hands over to her. She gripped them tightly in her grip. Silence took over between us as I watched her concentrate hard on the task. Suddenly she started chanting. The candles started flickering as a warm breeze passed through the room, flipping papers across the room but never moving the curtains.

Sheila gasped and opened her eyes, letting go of my hands. "Impossible." She muttered, looking down and tilting her head. She turned to her seat and picked up a book from the pile in front of her.

Quietly and obediently, I watched her flick through pages. She breathed out and stared hard at a page in the book. "You feel empty..." She stated, glancing up at me. "Like there is nothing in you. No energy. No light." She accused me.

Gently, she took my hands into hers. "Wait—" She let go. "Strange. There is light and energy but it flickers—In 'nd out like the candles." She made a sound of realization and got up, clicking her fingers to plunge us into the veil of darkness again. She pushed open the curtains and stood up to face me.

"What is it?" I asked carefully, folding my arms and bringing them close to me. "Do y'know what's goin' with me? I started coughing up blood, my eyes were bleeding and I felt so tired like I would faint." I paused to take a breath. Sheila's back was still turned to me as she paced back and forth her living room. "And earlier today, I couldn't even summon the 'light'." I continued in a distraught voice.

She sighed. "That's because you overwhelmed yourself. You pushed yourself too far in these few days." She turned on her feet to lean over me and look at me in concern. "I don't know how but you managed to almost use all of your energy to the point, you started burning your own life force. Witches often do it when they perform complicated spells. But you—" She swallowed. "—you just started learning this." She looked away from me and sat back down.

"Child. What did you try to do?" After a moment of silence, she asked me. I opened and closed my mouth, refusing to tell her about Vicki, knowing it wouldn't really help my case. "Defend yourself from a horde of vampires? Resurrect the dead?"

I nearly choked at Sheila's words. I silently cursed myself for last night. I should have known my own limits. I tried to compose myself and sat a little straighter. "Is there a way to reverse this?" I asked, ignoring her questions and trying to change the subject.

She raised her eyebrows and dropped the topic. She sighed. "The only thing you can do is rest, maybe try to practice a little without goin' over your boundaries." I nodded, listening to her suggestion.

"Your gifts—" She grabbed my hands. "—are untrained and raw. Until you have them sharpened, avoid pushing yourself to the brink. It's like a muscle, the less you use, the more it aches when you push yourself. The more gradually you practice, the less it aches when you use it. Understand." I nodded. She dropped my hands and stood up. "I truly am sorry that I can't be of more help."

I got up and started heading for the door. "You've done more than enough." I said with a genuine smile.

I engulfed her in a hug. She patted my back, letting go to open the door. I walked out the door but not before looking back. She was standing there, watching over me. Times like this sometimes made me miss my own grandma. Grandma Janine would know what to do. She always did.

* * *

"Oh my god! Hi." Jenna greeted me, crushing me into a hug. She let go and led me inside the Gilbert house. "Haven't seen you or your uncle in ages. How are you guys?" She kept talking as she walked, not even letting me speak.

Jeremy peaked his head out from the kitchen before going back. He waved at me with a half eaten sandwich in his mouth. I smiled awkwardly in greeting, refusing to look him in the eyes. I couldn't. Every time I looked at him, the desperate image of him screaming over Vicki's body flashed in front of my eyes. He looked at me apologetically as he gestured to Jenna. I shrugged in response and just let Jenna carry on while Jeremy went back to the kitchen.

"—I feel like he's ignoring me." I heard Jenna say before she turned to look at me. "Why do guys always ignore me. Is it something I do? First Logan and now Nate. I mean he was supposed to be my best friend."

"Jenna." I grabbed her arm. "Breathe." I commanded her, stopping her ranting. "I don't know 'bout Logan but I know uncle Nate is super busy with his thesis."

She snorted. "I'm sorry but Nate is actually working. Like come on." I gave her a blank look. "Oh! You're...serious." She looked away.

"Yeahh..." I pressed my lips and stared at her awkwardly. "He kinda has to since he transferred to Duke—"

"—HE TRANSFERRED TO DUKE!" She exclaimed looking offended as she clutched her chest in betrayal. "That bastard. And he never even told me." She freed herself from my grip and stomped over to grab her phone, no doubt to give uncle Nate a piece of her mind. I did not pity that man one bit. I did warn him and he didn't listen. This was on him.

"Hey Jenna!" I called out. Her phone was pressed to her ears as she turned to look at me. "Are Elena and Bonnie upstairs?" She nodded fiercely before going back to ranting. This time my uncle was the one on the receiving end.

* * *

"—There's no windows open, right?" I heard Bonnie ask as I stood outside Elena's bedroom.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and got inside, shutting the door behind me "Right." Elena replied before her eyes wandered to me.

Elena sat on her bed, in front of her was a half-destroyed pillow. Feathers were spread across her sheets while Bonnie sat opposite her. Bonnie turned around at the sound of the door and gestured for me to tightly close it. I did so without hesitation. She wanted to tell Elena she was a witch, Elena only. Not her whole household.

"Hey, you made it." "Hey..." Bonnie and Elena greeted me at the same time.

I just waved at both of them before leaning against the door. Elena stared at me for a while, wanting to say something when Bonnie shifted the attention back on herself.

She turned to Elena and looked around her room. "There's no fan. No air conditioning." She asked, moving her hands around.

"None. What are you doing?" Elena replied, sitting up in her bed.

"Just watch. It's pretty cool." I added in with a smirk. "Cooler than what I can do." I said, getting off the door and coming to take a seat next to Elena who gave me a side-hug.

"Debatable." Bonnie commented tilting her head. "Grams just showed me this. You're gonna love it. You ready?"

Elena nodded while I looked on with an excited smile. Bonnie looked at me for some confidence boost before taking a deep breath and concentrating on a feather. She started levitating a feather in front of Elena who gasped in surprise and clutched my arm.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Elena hesitantly asked. Bonnie brought her hands together, rubbing them to get ready for the big finale. She beamed brightly as she levitated several more. Elena watches on with shock and amazement.

There were feathers in the air like an angel had landed in Elena's room. Elena let go of my arm and sat up. Catching the feathers in her hands, she laughed like a giddy child. Stopping to stare at Bonnie.

"It's true Elena. Everything my Grams told me. It's impossible and it's true. I'm a witch." Bonnie confessed nervously while staring fondly at Elena's happy expression. I sighed, contently, watching my friends being happy. I wish this could last forever.

Elena paused to look around the feathers floating in her room as she slowly sat back down. "I believe you." She said with a bright smile.

Bonnie turned to me and grabbed my hands. "Please don't tell Grams." She begged me with a pout on her face.

I rolled my eyes. "Relax. I won't." I pulled away and sat cross-legged on Elena's bed. "Besides, 'Lena already knows 'bout me, so it's only fair you don't tell your Grams either."

Elena shrugged in response, catching a feather in hands. "So does that mean you're a witch as well?" She questioned me as Bonnie slowly brought all the feathers down.

"Not really." I replied, pressing my lips together. "I don't know what I am. I'm just me." I added lightly bringing my hand up to catch one of the falling feathers.

Elena nodded while Bonnie focused on bringing all the feathers down. "It's Weird huh? After all This times joking about being psychic." She paused to touch a feather. "I really am a witch. You don't think I'm a freak now, do you? I mean you kinda accepted Ava."

"No of course not. Bonnie I just...don't understand though. If your Grams asked you to keep all this a secret, why did you tell me?"

"You're my best friend. I can't keep secrets from you." Bonnie softly answered back.

Elena nodded, her eyes moving to meet mine with guilty expression. We really needed to tell someone about this whole mess or the guilt was going to eat us up. I had a feeling Elena was gonna tell Bonnie soon.

* * *

I stood back and watched as the waiters and waitresses at the grill moved chairs and tables around for the party. Some of them brought out some more tables and chairs from the back. Extra lights were added to make the grill look more suitable for a party.

I breathed out tiredly, seeing the place come alive in front of my eyes. I gestured to the manager to open the doors as I stepped away outside for a minute or two. Within seconds. Early party-goers rushed into the party, calling dibs on tables, some making a beeline for the pool table or the jukebox. I didn't care about them that much.

Cool night air hit me straight in the face as I stepped outside. I picked up my phone and flipped it open. Bright light illuminated the darkness of the night when all of sudden my hands lit up.I tried to shake the light off and will it to go away. At the same time, I looked around to check that I was alone. I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself like Miss Sheila had taught me to do a few months back.

Carefully, I opened my eyes, the light was slowly dimming away. I breathed out in relief, throwing my head back when I noticed the street lights nearby flickering. The flickering lessened as the glow in my head dimmed. The flickering stopped completely when the glow disappeared.

I looked around once more to check that I was alone. I was alone. I closed my eyes and opened them again, focusing my attention to my phone. I called Elena.

"Hello." Elena's tired voice greeted me as I pressed my phone to my ear.

"Elena, hey. Um. Where are you?" I asked, smoothing out my dress. "I just saw Caroline walk in, Bonnie's gonna be here in a bit but—Where. Are. You?"

I heard her sigh. "I'm sorry, Ava. I think I'm gonna call it a night and stay in. Given the circumstances—"

"No. You're not using that as an excuse. We both know exactly why you're coming out here right now." I barked out.

"I...I don't know what you mean."

"Right. So 'Stefan' has nothing to do with you staying home." I quietly commented twirling my hair. "I mean..."

I heard her take a sharp breath. "We broke up. He moved on. Let me wallow in peace."

"He moved on? Whaaat? No. 'Lena, are you sure 'bout this."

"Unless I'm suddenly seeing things then no." She paused. "I went to his house and instead of seeing Stefan, I saw 'towel girl'." She slowly confessed. I could tell from her voice, she was a little jealous. I don't know why, she's the one who broke up with him.

"But you broke up with—"

"—I know. No need to remind me." She cut me off. I snorted. She regretted breaking up with him. So predictable. "—So 'towel girl' greets me when I go to his house. She's blonde, attractive, has a great body and seems waaay more fun than I'll ever be."

"I'm guessing 'towel girl' was in a towel when you went to his house."

"And nothing else. When I asked where Stefan was." She paused to take a breath. "Guess what she said."

"Stefan was in the shower?" I guessed without really knowing and hoping it wasn't true.

She made a sound of annoyance. "Stefan. Was. In. The. Shower." She repeated, outraged at the thought of it all. "God, Ava, he moved on. What am I supposed to do?"

"Um, you can either do two things." I started. "Forget 'bout him and come have fun, show him what he's missing or OR you could, I don't know talk to Stefan 'bout said 'towel girl', find out who she really is. For all you know, she could be his sister or something."

"Pass to both." She groaned out. "Any other suggestions. I might get desperate enough and ask Caroline for suggestions..." She trailed off. "Wait. There's someone at the door." I heard her get up.

"It's probably Stefan." I joked.

I heard her open the door. "It's Stefan. You were right." She confirmed my suspicions. "Are you a psychic too."

I awkwardly laughed, choosing not to deny or confirm what she said. "Are you really saying all of this while leaving him standing on your door."

"I didn't exactly open the door. Well...I opened and closed it in his face."

"Rude. Open it and talk to him. Sort out your feelings." I said, glancing back at the grill, remembering the party. "Anyways, I'm out. Have to go check out the party. Tell Stefan I said 'Hi'. Bye." I finished, flipping my phone off and walking back inside.

* * *

Opening the door, I was instantly blinded with the bright lights of the grill. People were everywhere. They were all having a good time, laughing and dancing. I felt good. I did this.

I walked around the grill, greeting people, thanking them for coming. I stayed a while around Erica and the rest of the art club, before making way around the grill again. I paused when I noticed Stefan walk through the door.

I weaved through the crowd to get to Stefan when I noticed Matt walk past him. "Matt, just hear me out please. I was just trying to help Vicki. I went through something similar once, I'm really sorry." I heard Stefan apologize to Matt as sincerely as he could while I stood behind Matt, choosing not to greet him. Guilt and remorse held me back in place from reaching out to Matt.

Matt scoffed. "Don't be. It's not the first time she's run off. Turns out Vicki's just like our mother; I can't count on either of them. Thanks for trying."

"You're wrong." I blurted out. I shut my eyes when I realized I had accidentally made myself known. Matt turned to stare at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

Quickly I tried to cover it up by focusing my attention on Stefan. "Stefan. Thanks for coming. Happy Birthday. It's not much but—"

"It's fine. It's more than anything, anyone has done for me." Stefan looked between me and Matt in concern. "I'm gonna go find a friend of mine. I'll see you in a bit." He said before he left me with Matt.

I tried to slowly walk away without Matt noticing. But to my bad luck. Matt noticed. He grabbed my arm and spun me around. "Ava." He breathed out.

"Hey...Matt." I greeted him awkwardly, trying to free myself from his grip. "Thanks for coming but y'know I have to—"

"Avoid me." He retorted, tilting his head.

"No. No." Yes. I did have to avoid him if I didn't want to be eaten alive by my own conscience. "I'm not avoiding you...I'm just gonna go look around the party I threw."

"Seriously? Just say you're gonna avoid me and go. You're turning out to be like Vicki and my mom. Maybe that's why you tried to defend Vick earlier." He said with a sad smile.

I pulled myself back from him and stared hard at him. "I'm not unreliable, okay. Neither was Vicki."

"Yeah, right." He scoffed. This time, it was him, walking away.

I grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Vicki didn't leave because she wanted to." I paused, trying to choose my next few words carefully. "She left because she had no choice. She really..." I swallowed, trying to stop myself from breaking down. "She really wanted to stay. For you. But she couldn't." I finished breathing out.

I let go of his arm and stepped away from him. "As for me. You're right, I'm not a good friend. I'm sorry." I started again. "I'm sorry, I just need some space. So please don't be mad at Vic—"

Matt engulfed me into a hug. "Thank you." He slowly let go. "For telling me that. I feel like I needed to hear that 'bout Vick. It feels a little better, knowing she didn't abandon me." I smiled and breathed out in relief. "How are you, by the way. Your eyes and nose were bleeding."

"Exhaustion." I stated. "I worked myself too hard over these past few days." It wasn't technically a lie. I did exhaust myself using my 'gifts'.

He nodded, digesting what I had just said. "You do work yourself too hard. Try not to overdo it." He said, walking away from me.

Watching him, walk away. I breathed out in relief. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But I knew Matt and my friendship would not be the same ever again.

* * *

I walked over to the bar and ordered myself some fries and a burger with some lemonade. I then went over to take a seat at a close-by table. Caroline came over and sat opposite me with her drink in hand. "Ava Fitzroy, you have truly outdone yourself." She said and started clapping.

A waiter came over and placed my food in front of me. I thanked them and picked up my burger. I made sure to remove any tomatoes from them. I put the tomatoes to the side of the plate. Finally I took a bite of my burger, savoring the taste of the beef and cheese with the caramelized onions.

"Caroline, are you drunk?" I asked, putting down the burger.

"Pfft. No. Maybe." She replied, taking one of my fries. "May I?" She asked, gesturing to the plate of fries.

"Knock yourself out." I wiped my face with a napkin. "Isn't it a little early to be getting drunk." I questioned, taking another bite out of my burger.

She groaned. "Please don't go all 'mom' on me right now." She pouted as she shoved a couple of fries down her face. "But...you can blame Damon for that." She said, her eyes slightly unfocused and red. Tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.

"Why am I not good enough? Why is it never me? Like Elena gets the guys and attention without even trying, Bonnie has the whole witch thing and she's so good at everything she does." She gestured to me. "You have the grades, the money and talent. And I have nothing." She started complaining. "It's not fair. Why can't I have something?"

"Caroline..." I started. She put her hands up, trying to stop me. "What did Damon do this time?"

Tears spilled from her eyes as she wiped them away, a little. "Nothing. It was my fault. I—" She stopped to swallow back her tears and stop herself from breaking down. "—I gave Bonnie this stupid ugly necklace for Halloween. You remember, right? A big ugly orange amulet thing." I nodded, remembering that piece of jewelry all too well.

"Well, Damon wanted it back. So I went and asked Bonnie for it. She said no." She continued. "And Damon really wanted it back so I...I almost ripped the thing from her...um...neck." She took another fry from the plate and dipped it into the ketchup.

"Caroline!" I gasped out, putting my burger down. "What the hell—"

"I know. I know. I'm a terrible friend. But Damon really wanted it." She sniffed.

My eyes widened as I stared at her. "So you decided to try and rip it off Bonnie's neck?" I repeated with my own words, trying to make sense of what she had said. "Bonnie could have been hurt."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, now I'm hurt. Not that anyone cares."

"I care but..." I trailed off as I breathed out in frustration. "But you do realize that was not the way to go with things."

She pouted, grabbing my drink and took a sip. "Yeah. I realized." She stopped, her eyes becoming unfocused. "He said I was stupid. Useless. And shallow."

"Don't tell me you actually believe him." I questioned, leaning towards her with wide eyes. I clasped my hands and tilted my head to stare down at her.

She snorted. "Yeah. He's not wrong." She said in a quiet voice.

"That's not tru—"

"Look around you." She gestured to everyone in the grill. Some people from our school were looking our way while most people were too lost in their own world to notice Caroline's little breakdown. "Everyone here is here because they wanted to see you one up me."

I tried to protest when she stopped me. "I don't need to read minds to know how annoying and bitchy they think I am. Y'know...hic...people rejoiced at school when they found out you were the student body president. Even though I didn't even run. They were like 'good thing it's not Caroline Forbes.' or 'Caroline could never'." She went on.

"Okay. You're going too far. No one thought that." I tried to placate her. She snorted again. I clenched my jaws and cursed Damon with all my heart. I hoped that bastard stepped on a wooden lego dipped in vervain while being in the sun without his stupid ring. Maybe then he will know the pain he puts others through.

"Please. I've heard stuff around how Damon dumped me and people saw him with you." She slowly stated, trying hold herself together. I looked at her like she had lost her mind. "First Elena and Stefan now you just had to go and steal—"

"Caroline, sweetie. I love you but please don't you dare finish that sentence." I cut her off, finishing my burger before she made me throw up. I pushed the almost empty plate away. "Okay, I don't know what Damon has said to you. But he's a bastard. Don't listen to him." I started, taking her hands in mine. "He's good looking. I will admit." She made a move to pull her hands away and get up and leave. "But. He's an asshole. And I'm too goddamn pretty to ever waste my time and youth on someone like him. And so are you." I let go of her hands. "God to think you would even...I think I will throw up if you mention that again." I turned to look at her again. "Cheer up. Get drunk. Forget 'bout him."

She laughed a little. She bit her lips. "I'll try but no promises." She said, her mood slightly better than it was before. She got up and walked away to get herself a drink.

"Don't get too drunk." I called out to her but she turned around and stuck out her tongue. She was gonna get wasted. I just hoped her mom would not show up.

* * *

I walked over to Elena who sat not-so alone near the pool table, gazing at it longingly. Unfortunately, she was in the presence of Damon. Just who I've been trying to avoid all night.

I huffed and stalked towards her. "—Elena, I took away the suffering." I heard Damon say to Elena as I approached her.

"You made it!" I beamed brightly, wrapping my arms around her. She smiled weakly, her eyes focused on a couple behind me. I turned around to see Stefan playing pool with a mystery girl.

Damon was about to say something to me when I glared at him to leave and not ruin my night. He put his hands up in defence and walked away. Seeing him leaving, I turned back to Elena who stared at Stefan, longingly. "Are you just gonna stare at him or are you going to make a move."

"I don't know." She whimpered. "I want to but…"

I rolled my eyes and put my hands on her shoulders. "Order yourself a drink. It's gonna be a long night at this rate." She tried to protest. "You love him. Even if it takes the whole night, you two are gonna sit down and talk 'bout your feelings if that's the last thing to do." I backed away from her when I noticed Erica calling me. "I'm gonna go talk to Erica. Remember, talk to Stefan."

* * *

The party was in full swing by now. Half the people were wasted. Including Caroline, to not my surprise. Matt had taken her home after apologizing to me for leaving early. Bonnie had disappeared into the crowd somewhere. Erica and the other art club students had left the party early. A wise decision if I say so myself. Tyler was getting more and more wasted, was probably going to start a fight soon. But I felt good. I felt good when I looked at Elena and Stefan from a distance. I breathed out in contentment, happy that they had made up.

A blonde girl approached me while I sat alone watching the crowd of party-goers from a table near the bar. I shivered as a chill ran down my back as she took a seat opposite me. She was a vampire. I tried to disguise my discomfort and not look at her.

"So you're Ava. The girl who returned to town, is best friends with Elena and the one who threw this kick-ass party." She stated, looking at me with a friendly smirk. Her smirk was so different from Damon's. It was almost comforting.

I nodded, acting bored. "And you are?" I asked, feigning a lack of interest to make her leave. I didn't know her but I knew she was a vampire.

"Lexi Branson. A friend of Stefan." She introduced, extending her hand to shake. Reluctantly, I took it. It was cold. Deathly cold.

"Relax. I'm only here for his birthday then I'm off." She lightly commented, taking a shot. "You and Elena always look like you're on edge. At least you do a better job of hiding it behind your fake snobby act. No offence."

A realization dawned on me as I realized who Lexi really was. "Towel girl." I accidentally blurted out. I instantly regretted it. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to hide. I put my head down, looking away from her and took a sip of my lemonade.

She laughed, downing another shot as she did so and shook her head side to side. "Wow! That's like thee second time someone has called me 'towel girl'—not that I mind. I've been called worse." She stated, leaning towards me.

"Right. Just ignore, I said that." I replied, removing the straw from my glass and just downing the lemonade. I wish I had taken something with a little alcohol instead. At least I'd forget this embarrassing moment.

I put down the glass and stared at her. "So you're only here for Stefan's birthday?"

She nodded, replacing my empty glass in front of me with a shot glass and poured some tequila. "I stole this from the bartender." She waved the bottle of tequila around. "A truce." She gestured to the glass.

"Stefan told me you're one of the good ones. That and you're descended from vampire hunters—" She paused to look around as she leaned in and lowered her voice. "—plus you have a really cool ability to produce sunlight from your hands which can hurt vampires. So a truce." She again gestured to the shot glass.

Saying nothing, I downed the glass with ease. "Stefan told you all that?" I questioned out-loud, unsure what to make off her. She nodded again, pouring us both another a drink. "So he trusts you." I stated. "Then I guess I have no choice but to trust you as well but then again Stefan is also related to Damon." I commented dryly, taking another shot.

She blanched and groaned. "Let's not even ruin this night by mentioning that scum."

"Point taken." I said clinking my glass with her's and downing another shot. Feeling like I would get along great with her.

She giggled childishly. I could tell she was a little tipsy. "Exactly. I totally turned his offer down the first time 'round for this party 'till Stef mentioned you were throwing the party. I mean thank go—"

"—Wait. Damon invited you before Stefan." I asked. My eyes wide with horror. My brain connecting the dots.

Lexi laughed a little. "Yeah, why?" She questioned, tipsy and euphoric.

_Colors swirled around me as I closed my eyes in shock. When I opened them I wasn't at the grill. I was standing in the dimly lit parking lot of the grill. More precisely, I was somewhere near the back of the grill. It was empty._

_Almost empty. A woman was being dragged by her feet by two men while another woman led her to a car. Suddenly, the woman being held woke up, revealing her face to me. It was Lexi. Her face was distorted and monstrous as she pissed at the woman in charge, Sheriff Forbes._

_Lexi used whatever strength she had left in her to shove the two men off of her with each of the men crash landing on two different police cars. She then turned her attention to the Sheriff. She hissed loudly, baring her fangs in warning._ _The two women stood facing off against each other in the parking lot. Gunshots rang through the parking lot as Lexi tried to take a step towards Liz. Sheriff Forbed had shot her, slowing her down. She kept going. More gunshots. And suddenly silence._

_I cupped my mouth in shock. I gasped at the image in front of me. There was a stake right through Lexi's chest being held there by someone. I knew it was a man from the back. His face turned away from me hidden in the darkness. I watched in horror as her face turned that horrid deathly-grey shade Vicki's had as she slowly slid down to the pavement..._

I gasped. "Oh my god." I muttered, realizing Lexi was the sacrifice. She was the vampire Damon was going to use to throw the sheriff of his trail. In shock, I grabbed Lexi's hand, ignoring the chill I stared at her with determination. "You need to get out here right now."

Lexi drew her hand back and poured herself another shot. "Why?" She laughed. "I thought we were on a truce—" I quickly grabbed her arm and attempted to drag her away from the bar.

"We are. That's why I'm telling you for your own good to leave." I attempted to warn her. But I failed as I noticed Damon approach us. His eyes narrowed and he gave me a look of warning as he took a seat at the bar.

Lexi glanced at me and then at him. Her eyes narrowed as she got up, pouring a few glasses and taking it over to Damon. I watched her walk up to him with the drinks "All right, the shots are a bribe. I need you to answer a question. What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?" I heard her confront him.

I pursed my lips and didn't move from my table, debating with myself whether or not to get involved. Lexi seemed like a good person. Stefan trusted him.

God. Why was I stupid enough to trust Damon would ever do anything 'nice'. This whole thing wasn't for Stefan it was to get rid of Lexi and throw the Sheriff of his bloody trail. Two birds with one stone. It was a good plan, I wasn't going to lie but it wouldn't be Damon if his plans didn't include someone's death.

Rolling my eyes, I got up. Taking my empty lemonade glass with me, I took a seat next to Lexi. "—I have a diabolical master plan." Damon replied to whatever Lexi had said before shifting to stare at me. He did not look happy.

I turned to the bartender and asked him to refill my glass with lemonade. If the Sheriff was here, I so did not want to be caught with alcohol let alone a vampire or two. I felt Damon narrow his eyes as I accepted my lemonade and took a sip without looking at him.

"So you **do** have a diabolical plan…" I lightly commented, inserting myself into their conversation. Lexi turned to me, her face distorted with confusion. "And I thought I told you to stay away from Caroline." I asked him

Damon groaned and downed his shot. "It's—nothing big." He tried to justify himself while ignoring Lexi and the comment about Caroline.

"Right." I put the glass of lemonade down, swirling my straw around the drink. "I'm supposed to believe a pathological liar?" I raised my eyebrows, staring down at him hard.

"What is it?" Lexi questioned. "What's the diabolical plan that even she doesn't know." She leaned forward to look at Damon.

"If I told you two it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?" He retorted and went back to drinking.

Before I could reply, my gaze wandered around the grill. My eyes widened as it settled on the entrance. The sheriff and a few of her deputies surrounded a girl who looked scared. I watched as the girl looked around the grill. Her eyes searching around for someone.

_"Janet is so into me. Wonder if we'll_ —" _"This party is off the hook." "Ava really outdid herself."_ "— _I'm so gonna dump his ass for this—_ " _"Ava's coming for Caroline's place. Poor Caroline, her boyfriend dumped her and now she's gonna lose the Queen B po_ —"

I clutched my head in pain trying to read that girl's mind, only to be met with a barrage of uninvited thoughts shouting out at me. The voices mixed with the blaring loud of music and chatter of conversation felt painful. It felt like my head was being split in half.

"You okay, sunshine?" Damon asked, getting up from his seat to come over to me. He leaned over me while Lexi looked on in concern.

_"Who attacked me?" "It was_ — _him. No! Her!" "Who was it?!" "_ — _It was her. That blonde girl."_

Shrugging his hands off me, I quickly reacted and grabbed Lexi's arm without anyone noticing. "Leave right now." I commanded quiet enough for me to hear. I knew Lexi and Damon would both hear me. I only needed Lexi to hear me. She stared at me confused before she made a move to go but stopped to glare at Damon. I growled in frustration and wanted to drag her outside but I couldn't. Not without drawing attention to myself.

But before she could move any further from the bar, the sheriff came over and injected Lexi with vervain. I watched in horror as Lexi slumped over, unconscious.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed in shock, clutching my necklace to comfort me.

Sheriff Forbes attempted to assure me with a look but it failed. "What are you doing?!" Damon asked in feigned outrage. I really wanted to punch his face.

She said something to Damon that I couldn't hear properly before she turned to me. She placed a hand on my shoulders and stared at me conflicted. "I'm sorry you had to see this but this is for your own good." She tried to justify herself, stepping back to stare at both of us. "Now if you'll excuse me."

Damon's face returned to his normal cocky self with the Sheriff's back turned. I turned around to glare at him hatefully. Before going off to find Stefan and maybe save Lexi. He didn't try to stop me.

* * *

I didn't run to Stefan, instead I put on a smile and went around party-goers calming them down, reigniting their fun. I wanted to take attention off Lexi, the less attention there was, the more easily we slip unnoticed by the deputies.

"Ava." Stefan greeted me, clearly distraught. While Elena looked confused and scared about all of this.

I grabbed both of their hands and tried to lead them to a back door. "We already tried to leave. They wouldn't let us." Elena commented while Stefan kept a watch.

I didn't say anything and just led through the door to outside. "Yeah, well. They don't know all of the exits to this place." I retorted quietly, keeping my voice audible but not too loud to catch anyone's attention. "Stefan. I'm so sorry. This was not what I planned." I apologized.

Stefan nodded, dragging both me and Elena to the parking lot. We hurried to where Lexi was. Just like in my vision, she was being held by two deputies. Elena was about to make a sound when Stefan held her mouth and flashed over to the side of a building, gesturing me to hide next to them.

Slowly, he let go of Elena, unwrapping himself from her. "We...need to do something." Elena whispered. He nodded.

"I could distract the Sheriff, long enough for Lexi to get away." He suggested.

Elena turned to look at him, she grabbed on his arms in an attempt to stop him. "What if...what if you get caught instead." She asked, gazing at him in concern. Stefan looked conflicted as did I.

I knew we didn't have much time, when Lexi threw the two deputies across the parking lot. I knew it was time. We needed to act fast. I stared down at my hands, remembering what had happened earlier with the lights outside the grill, my phone when I was talking to Elena that night. I could also control people's actions, make them believe what I wanted them to do. Vervain was not a problem for me. A plan formed in my head.

I swallowed and stared hard at my hands. The first round of gunshots rang through the parking lot. Sheila Bennett's warning flashed through my mind. But the plan was formed. Clutching my hands tightly, I knew what I had to do.

"...I have a plan." I whispered, sharply to the couple next to me. "I'm gonna take out the lights, maybe get inside the Sheriff's head, make her believe she got the vamp." I recited my plan out loud, taking a step forward.

"How are you going to do that?" Stefan asked. 

"I don't know...I'll try."

Elena grabbed on to my arm. "What if you get hurt?" I shrugged her hand off me and tried to summon all the energy I had left in me to an orb in my left hand. I placed both of my hands together and concentrated hard. 

"I don't know, this seems risky. How do we know you can do all of that, safely. She can't even be compelled. Not from this distance and not when she's on vervain." Stefan tried to stop me.

I looked at them both. "We don't have time to think of a better plan." I turned away as the second round of gunshots rang out.

Lights all around us started flickering violently. There was a slight buzz in the air. I felt my hair whip around my face as I absorbed that energy in the air. It felt euphoric. Like nothing I had ever felt before. Car alarms started going off. The noise caused the Sheriff to lose her focus.

"Stefan." I breathed out. "Try to get Lexi to run. The Sheriff's distracted." I stated, still holding my hand up. The light from my hand, bathing us in a warm glow. Stefan nodded, flashing over to somewhere closer to Lexi so she would hear him

I kept my hands up, focusing all my attention on the Sheriff. "Liz. Put down the gun." I slowly began. I knew the deputies were out cold. They wouldn't be a problem. I watched from a distance as Liz lowered her gun. It worked. I controlled Liz without looking at her. I breathed out in relief. But my job was far from over. "You're going to step away from the vampire." I paused thinking hard what to make her see.

In the end, I settled on the vision of what would've happened. "You shot the vampire but Damon Salvatore came and staked her before she could hurt you." I added, moving a little forward in a trance. Blood dripped down my nose. "Instead of her body turning grey. It turned into ash. And now you're going to pick up your deputies and walk away." I finished. But I didn't put my hands down.

I coughed. Blood dripped down my chin. I watched blankly as Lexi flashed away from danger. "Ava!" Elena shouted, trying to stop me.

Someone grabbed me and pinned to the wall. "Stop. You're hurting yourself." I heard someone say to me. It was Damon. Or I think it was. I couldn't think straight. My mind was a blur. All I could think about was keeping the light going. I shook them off and kept my focus on the Sheriff.

"Stefan!" I heard Elena or someone who sounded like Elena scream out in help.

The street lamps all shattered around us as. The car alarms incessantly louder. It was deafening. But I didn't care. I put more energy into the orb, staring at it in awe. I coughed again, more blood pouring out of my mouth. My eyes felt heavy. They started to droop. The light dimmed slowly as my eyes shut completely, plunging me into complete darkness. Strangely enough, I didn't feel the pavement when I fell. I faded in and out of consciousness. My eyes focused on the starry night when I came back for a while. Wow, I messed up. I regretted not listening to Miss Sheila's warning. At least, I saved someone, I thought. I hope I did. I didn't want another person to lose their life. Please don't be dead.

"Please don't be dead." I heard someone beg as a warm metallic liquid ran down my throat. I almost gagged at the taste. I wanted to spit it out. "Don't you dare spit this out." That same person spoke out again. I was convinced this person was really trying to kill me.

Before I could protest and shove their hand away from my mouth. I faded out again. The last thing I remember was that the stars were so damn bright that night.

* * *

_Fire._

_When I opened my eyes, there was fire everywhere. Gone was the starry night. It was replaced by fire. The cold breeze was replaced by the hot air. The intense heat from the flames made my skin feel as if it was slowly peeling off. Everywhere I looked there was fire. Breathing in and out, I tried to calm myself, trying to tell myself that this wasn't real. This wasn't happening but I couldn't calm down. I had this dream before. Why was I seeing this again? God. Was I in hell?_

_The heat from the flames felt suffocating. It felt real._

_1\. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10._

_Shutting my eyes, I tried counting in my head like last time, trying to focus on myself. I kept counting from one to ten, back and forth. Slowly, I peeled my eyes open, hoping it would all disappear. But it didn't._

_The fire was raging and it surrounded me. And like last time, it wasn't the only thing surrounding me. There were people on the floor, some passed out due to the fire or some unknown cause. And some were clutching their heads in immense pain. The screams of anguish rang through the air intertwining with the smoke from the fire._

_Get me out here. I wanted to scream. Wake up. I slapped myself. Wake up. Wake..._

"...up" I woke up with a sharp gasp, my lungs desperately trying to take in air. I knew from the I opened my eyes. I wasn't home. I felt silk sheets underneath me. The ceiling above me was different. It was dark and wooden. My ceiling was not wooden. I felt my hand around the bed. It was huge. I tried to grip on to the dark silk sheets and push myself up, only to fail and choke. There was a sharp metallic taste in my mouth. I brought my hand to my mouth, trying to sit up again. Dried blood flaked off the corners off my mouth. What the...

My eyes widened in horror. I tried to rub my mouth and get rid of the blood around my mouth. I tried to get up again, only to fall back down.

"Easy there, sunshine." Damon's annoying voice broke me out of my haze. My head slowly turned to look at him. He stood in the doorway of the room, holding a tray. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at what he was holding. A glass of water and some tablets.

Mustering all the strength I had, I pushed myself off the bed. He flashed over to me, putting down the try on the bedside table and helped me get up. "Wh—Where am I?" I asked, staring at him confused. I hated myself for how weak I sounded.

Damon backed off and handed me the water and pills. I reluctantly took them. "Relax. It's just water and some painkillers. Not poison." He remarked, looking over me. "As for your question. You are in my awesome bedroom."

I nearly spat out the water. Instead I coughed. "Easy there. You don't wanna cough out blood again. Was not pretty the first time 'round." He commented, taking away the glass. "Took a lot of my blood to even get you working again."

"Blood?" I questioned out loud before a sickening realization came to me. "You gave me your blood!" I accused him, almost wanting to throw up.

He gripped my shoulders, stopping me from doing anything. "If I didn't do anything you would have died." He spat out.

"If you didn't do anything. I wouldn't be in that situation in the first place." I shouted at him.

He drew back, turning away from me. "I had a plan." He stated, turning on his heel to stare at me.

"A terrible plan, if I may add."

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "It was a plan nonetheless which would have got the Sheriff out mine and Stefan's trail."

"You mean yours. Not Stefan." I paused to take in a huge gulp of air. It was still so hard to breathe. "You wouldn't need a plan in the first place, if you didn't kill all those people!" I retorted, trying to get off the bed now.

Damon flashed over and pushed me back down. He rolled his eyes and backed off. "Whatever." He ignored what I said. I glared at his back as he went and sat at an armchair nearby. He picked up a book. "Sleeping beauty's awake." He called out.

A moment after, Elena, Stefan and to my relief Lexi walked into the room. Elena wrapped me into her arms, rubbing circles around my back. I could tell how shaken up she was. She pulled back and stared at me. "Don't ever do that again. Please." She breathed out. There were dried tears on her face.

She took a step back, allowing Stefan to come closer. "Ava. Thank you for what you did. If you didn't. I can imagine—"

"But I did and that's what matters the most." I cut him off, mustering up a smile. "I don't regret saving Lexi." I answered, looking at Lexi, who hid behind Elena. She looked guilty.

At my words, she stepped forward. "I guess I should thank you. Thanks for thinking I was worth saving."

Damon snorted. "Yeahh and she nearly died saving you too." He muttered loudly.

I clenched my jaw and glared down hard at him. Turning away from him, I stared at Lexi. "It's not fair to die for someone else's mistakes." I breathed out, clutching my chest in pain.

Lexi flashed over to me and gently pushed me back onto Damon's bed. She brushed my hair away from my face and engulfed me in a hug. I melted into her embrace. For once the chill that haunted every time I came close to vampires didn't scare or hurt me. Instead it comforted me.

"Thank you. For saving my life. For looking after Stefan." I heard her whisper to my ears before pulling back.

I said nothing for a while. Relishing the moment. All of sudden, Damon shut his book loudly. "All right. Visiting hours are now closed." He got off from his seat. "It's getting late. Get out of my room."

I rolled my eyes and looked at Stefan and Elena. "Hey. Can either of you drop me home?" I asked.

"Ava..." Stefan started. "I think it's best if you stayed the night." He offered. I almost bought his offer but one look at Damon made me change my mind.

I stared at Stefan stubbornly, not backing down. To my relief, Elena and Lexi sided with me, both offering to take me back home. I took their offer. Leaving the Salvatore house was probably the best decision I made. I felt scared staying there, knowing I had vampire blood in my system. The last thing I ever wanted to be was a vampire.


	10. Echoes of the Past

Chapter 9: Echoes of the Past

* * *

_The only sound that met my straining ears was my own echoing footsteps. Cold. I shivered violently trying to make sense of where I was. I didn't know where I was. I reached out my hand to feel my way and couldn't even see it in front of my face. Blindly, I stumbled into the cave-like place, falling hard on the unforgiving stone floor with a loud thud._

_With as much strength I could summon, I pushed myself off the ground and sat up. I breathed in and out, trying to catch my breath. In that time, I decided to check for any injuries. Feeling around my body with my soft unmarred hands, I was relieved to find none. I closed my eyes, trying to envision my surroundings but nothing came to me. I opened them again. The darkness was the only thing I could see with my eyes open or closed. I breathed out in frustration and groaned, picking myself off the ground. I tried to feel the rough jagged stone walls to move around. Unfortunately, I didn't get far enough._

_Small, loose stones littered across the stony floor caused me to trip again. In frustration, I tried to will my hand to glow up but it failed. All of a sudden, flaming torches sparked to life, lighting up the tunnel ahead and bathing the entire cavern in a flickering orange glow. The cave-like building was old and abandoned so long ago that ivy had started growing on the crumbling walls while spiders made homes in each corner. The walls were crumbling, stone bricks looked on the verge of falling down while the iron gates looked rusted._

_I gasped when I noticed them. All around me there were bodies. Some slumped over each other, some standing but not moving and some laying on the cold floor. I don't know if they were dead or not. They seemed alive but at the same time, they were not. Swallowing my fears, I moved closer to examine the bodies. Their skin was grey and cracking. Eyes, hollow and vacant. I gasped and pushed myself back when I noticed their eyes moving. They were alive. But why were they…_

_My blood ran cold when I realized what they were. These were not humans. They were vampires. My eyes widened in horror and shock as I tried to run to the exit of the abandoned building. But I couldn't. At every turn, I was met with more and more bodies, each staring at me in rabid hunger like I was their prey. I needed to get out._

_The lights flickered, casting an ominous glow throughout the site, causing shivers to ripple across my body. But I kept running, trying to get away and get out. I felt the cold hard ground again when I tripped. I tried to push myself off the ground again only to let out a scream when I realized what I had tripped over. It was one of the vampires. Her skin, grey like the others. Her eyes vacant with a tiny shred of light in them and her mouth dry. She looked pitiful. I could barely make out her face in the flickering lights but I could tell that underneath it all, she was pretty. She seemed to look east asian but I wasn't too sure._

_Suddenly she sprang to life and grabbed my wrists. Her cold dead hands gripped my wrists tightly in a vice-like grip as she slowly inched forward. I watched in silent horror as she opened her mouth with much difficulty._

" _Help...me…." She croaked. "Please...my daught_ — _"_

I woke up with a gasp and threw my covers off me. I hugged myself, trying to shake off the nightmare that I just had. In and out. I breathed, trying to calm myself. It wasn't real. It was just a dream. Just a dream. "Huh." I breathed out weakly. Dreams. You never just have dreams, Ava. I thought to myself. When was the last time, I had a normal dream. I couldn't remember.

I pushed myself off my bed and went to get ready for school. I still had plenty of time before school but that did not mean I could slack off. I had a reputation and an image to keep. Taking in a deep breath, I smoothed out my coral pink dress and gave myself a quick glance over in the mirror before making way downstairs.

* * *

I sat in the dining room, staring blankly at the open journal before me. Now and then, my eyes would wander over to the clock on the wall and to uncle Nate who sat in front of me. Uncle Nate sat opposite me slowly eating his breakfast as he read one of his essays. I pouted and loudly sighed to grab his attention. He looked up and smiled mockingly before going back to staring at his essay.

Great. I was going to be late the first day back from the thanksgiving break and it was all his fault. It's not like I couldn't go to school by myself, it was more like I needed a chaperone after my repeated screw-ups. At least that's what everyone in my family had decided. Apparently ending up unconscious and waking up in a vampire's bed after an overuse of my powers counted as a massive screw-up. Second only to exposing my knowledge of vampires to vampires, putting myself in a huge risk. In other words, I had made screw-ups after screw-ups. It was a miracle my parents had still let me return.

I scowled as I picked up my pen and clicked it. I might as well make use of the time he was wasting. But nothing came to my head as I stared at the blank page. I huffed, flicking the pen against the table, trying to rack my head for something. I gave up, clicking the pen loudly and putting it and my journal away in my bag. "Let's go." Uncle Nate said as he got up just as I finished. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my denim jacket off the back of the chair and followed him out of the house and into the garage.

* * *

"Remember—"

"—No use of powers. No talking to vampires. Avoid talk of supernatural stuff all together, if possible. Stay safe. Stay alive." I recited obediently, unclipping my seat-belt and getting out of the car. Making sure to grab my bag as I did so. "I remember. You guys practically drilled it into my head over the holidays."

Uncle Nate laughed. "And whose fault is it anyway."

I pouted. "...Damon Salvatore." I said quietly under my breath, standing outside the car.

"No!" He handed me my denim jacket from the backseat and lightly punched me. "It's yours for trying to be a martyr. Our family doesn't do sacrifices." I opened my mouth to argue and bring up Grandma Janine and Grampa Charles but stopped. They were the whole reason my family stopped caring. Bringing them up would not help my argument. "Next time, you're in that situation. You. Walk. Away. What did your mom say?"

I looked away annoyed. "...Don't blame other people for my own actions. Don't get involved in other people's mess."

"Exactly." He sat back in his seat and pulled the passenger door to shut it. He rolled down the windows. "Have a nice day. I'll be home a little late, have to swing by the library." He said before he drove off, leaving me standing in the school parking lot alone but surrounded by familiar and unfamiliar faces.

I huffed and stomped over to where Elena and Caroline stood watching me from a distance. "Hey." Elena greeted me, the minute I walked over to her. She looked better than last time I had seen her. "How are you?" She asked quietly while Caroline fussed over something on the side.

"Better. But I can't talk 'bout it too much." I replied, putting on my jacket. I remembered the family rules. No talking about supernatural stuff. That night fell under that category. Elena nodded unconvinced and stared at me in concern. "Don't worry 'bout it. It all worked out in the end. Right?" I tried to reassure her.

"Right." She picked up her pace and decided to change the subject. Turning to Caroline, she opened her mouth and went back to get previous conversation. "Have you even talked to Bonnie?"

"No, I'm mad at her. She needs to make the first move." Caroline retorted.

"Be the bigger person."

"Impossible in her presence."

Elena paused near the school building. "Why are you so pissed at her anyway?"

"She's a thief, that's why. I gave her my necklace, and she refuses to give it back. It's a matter of principle."

I scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Caroline repeated.

"Caroline. You were complaining about that ugly thing like a few weeks back when you actually had it."

She flipped her sunshine blonde hair behind her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at me. "Yeah...well. It's mine and I want it back...even if it's ugly."

I tilted my head in confusion. "It's not even yours in the first place."

"Look I don't wanna fight with you as well."

Elena let an audible sigh. "I tried. I'm officially out of it." She put her hands up and turned her back towards us. "And so is Ava." I tried to argue, only to stop when Elena gave me a stern look.

"Good. Your turn, 'Lena. Where's Stefan? Have you talked to him?" Caroline replied, obviously pleased that the subject of that ugly talisman-thing was dropped.

"He's avoiding me." My eyes met hers as she gave me a tired smile.

"Why?"

We stopped. I stared at Elena in concern. She looked uncertain and hesitated to answer as she tried to think of what she could say. Opening and closing her mouth a few times in an effort to get something out. " ...It's complicated." She finally breathed out, giving me a look that meant she wanted to talk to me alone about this.

Just as Caroline was about to reply, the school bell rang loudly. I covered my ears to mute it out a little while Caroline smirked. She nodded, signalling the ringing was over. Carefully, I removed my hands from my ears. "I'll see you later, Care." Elena made an excuse and tried to leave. She stopped and turned to look at me. "Ava." She gestured silently for me to follow her.

"Bye." Caroline waved at us, thinking I was going to follow Elena.

"I'll see you in history in a bit." I said carefully. Elena nodded before turning her back and walking away.

Caroline turned to look at me in surprise. "Alright. What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to check in with you." I replied, grabbing her arms and walking ahead. "How are you after..."

"That night? Yeah. I'm better. But wow. My mom saw me drunk, so that was that. It was not pretty. And then Matt took me home where we...slept together."

"You. Slept. With. Matt." I muttered, shocked.

"Not in a sexual way! More like cuddled to sleep. Why? Do you still have that crush on him?"

"No. I was like 10. That doesn't count." I rebutted her claims, still trying to wrap my head around Matt and Caroline. I mean they'd be a cute couple. Barbie and Ken. They both were royally screwed over Damon. They both deserved to be happy. "You guys would be a cute couple. Go for it."

"I would, if he didn't totally pull a disappearing act on me. I just have such shitty luck with guys. Y'know." Caroline blushed furiously. "Oh!" She grabbed my arm. "...That reminds me. Is everything okay with you and Matt. You guys seemed really close when you came back and ever since Vicki's run off, you've been kinda distant and—"

I breathed out, tiredly. I knew I couldn't outrun these questions, no matter what I did. "Matt tell you that." I asked quietly, fidgeting with the strap of my bag. She nodded. I sighed. I shouldn't be so surprised. Matt was hurt. If Vicki's 'death covered up as a her disappearance' hurt, I could imagine how much me flaking him off hurt.

Caroline opened her mouth but quickly closed it when a boy walked past us. It was Matt. I turned away to give Caroline my undivided attention just before I left for class. She stared at the blond boy in hope for him to notice. Much to her disappointment, Matt brushed past her. She deflated and stared at me, pouting.

"Ava. Hey." Matt called out from behind me. Caroline glanced at me in slight jealousy. Seriously. I was trying to avoid him. I didn't say anything and just shrugged.

I closed my eyes and breathed out. Opening them, I turned around. "Hey...Matt." I greeted him awkwardly before turning back to Caroline. "I have to go. I'm gonna be late for History." Before Caroline or Matt could say anything, I had walked away. Today was so not my day.

I quickly glanced at the watch on my wrist. I had five minutes till class started. I did not want to be late to my first class back from the break. Not to mention, I have never been late before. Today was not a good day to be late. Tanner's replacement was supposed to start today. Ugh, being late on the first day of the new teacher was not a good sign. I didn't want to get on the wrong side of the new history teacher.

* * *

I made it just in time and quickly took my seat. Elena had already taken her seat. I did a quick scan of the room from my seat at the back. Bonnie was here but she looked out of it. I made a quick mental note to remember to ask her about it later. My eyes kept wandering but stopped when I noticed an empty seat. Stefan wasn't here. I sighed as I took out my books and stationary. Stefan was still avoiding Elena and by proxy me. It didn't bother me as much that he was avoiding me, we weren't that close. Not to mention, he probably felt guilty facing me. I did put my life at risk for his best friend. It wasn't his fault but Stefan was the type to take the blame for the mistakes of others.

Silently, I watched Elena turn to look at Bonnie and ask her if she was okay. Bonnie just shrugged. She looked tired. Her eyes were red and puffed up. Dark circles underneath her eyes were very prominent. It was a familiar sight. Not on her. But on me. I would usually look like that on my worst days when I would be kept awake by haunting visions. This made me wonder.

"Good morning everyone." A man walked up to the front of the classroom greeting us awkwardly. His eyes gave a quick scan to the half-filled classroom in front of him as he picked up a piece of chalk. "Alrighty."

I watched bored as he wrote his name on the chalkboard. 'Alaric Saltzman'. I pursed my lips and flipped my notebook open, ready to focus on the lesson when I felt someone sit next to me. I didn't have to turn to look at the person next to me. It was Matt, I knew it was. I almost groaned out-loud but stopped myself. I really forgot that he was in the same history class as me.

I could feel his burning gaze on me as I pretended to actually write something in my notebook before dropping my pen on the table and focusing my attention on Mr Saltzman. "—Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful, I know. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins." Mr Saltzman put down the chalk on Tanner's table and carried on. "My family emigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston."

He clasped his hands together as the last of the late-comers rushed in to take their seats. "Now the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. You'll probably want to pronounce "Al-a-ric" but it's "Ala-ric," okay? So, you can call me Rick. I'm your new history teacher." He finished with a smile.

From a glance, I could tell he cared about the subject and would probably be a good history teacher. I sighed in relief. I was not gonna fail history after all. But the nagging feeling at the back of my head stopped me from being too relieved. There was something off about the new history teacher. But he seemed good, maybe too good to be true.

* * *

"—And then, I ended up at the remains of the old Fell's church before I woke up back in the woods." Bonnie stated as she, Elena and I sat down together for lunch. Caroline was still avoiding Bonnie.

"And you always see your ancestor Emily?" Elena asked, leaning forward and giving me a look.

"Mhm. Do you guys believe in ghosts?"

"Yes." I said immediately after taking a bite of my apple. If witches, vampires and whatever I was were real, who knew what was out there.

Elena pursed her lips and looked lost. "Two weeks ago I'd say no, but now…"

"—Because i think I'm being haunted."

"I don't get it. Why Emily?" Elena asked.

"Grams said she was a powerful witch back in the Civil War days, and that this medallion was hers. A witch's talisman."

"And it all started when you got the necklace?" Elena asked. Bonnie nodded nervously as she pursed her lips.

I leaned forward on the table and took out an apple from my bag. "I'm not saying it's cursed but it's probably cursed. Maybe try not wearing it around your neck all the time. Leave it at home or at your Grams'."

"Grams won't let me. I think she's using it to communicate with me." Bonnie replied, clasping her hands.

"A+ communication skills right there. " I retorted sarcastically.

Elena gave me a look telling me to be nice. She turned to Bonnie with a look of concern. "Okay, what does Grams say about it?"

"I can't call her. She's gonna tell me to embrace it. I don't want to embrace it, I want it to stop."

"So just get rid of it and don't tell your Grams. No more nightmares." I pointed out, discarding the apple core.

Bonnie looked deep in her thoughts as she considered what I just said while Elena nodded in agreement. But I really didn't mean what I said. For all I knew, it could've been important. Important enough for the dead to haunt her. But that's none of my business.

I got up remembering the family intervention and nodded at Elena and Bonnie before making way to the art classrooms. As much I loved my friends, I couldn't get involved in their messes. Not anymore.

* * *

I stood outside in the field, with an easel in front of me while a palette of paint in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. I tilted my head and tried to look at my half-painted canvas, hoping for a spark of imagination but nothing. I dropped my hands, putting the paintbrush aside and looked around me. I wasn't alone. All around me were members of the art club, each with their own easels in front of them, lost in their own worlds as they worked on their art pieces a good distance away from me.

"Stuck?" Mrs Saunders asked as she craned her head at my work. I shrugged in response as she inspected the work carefully. "Not a bad start. Keep going."

Before I could reply she walked away with Erika on her tail. I sighed as I picked up the paintbrush and tried to muster up something to paint. This was supposed to be an outlet for stress not stress-inducing. Ugh. I wasn't getting anywhere at this rate. My head was empty. I groaned, realizing I wasn't going to get anywhere. I might as well start packing up. I put back the unused paint brushes away in a little bag I carried with me and gathered all the paint-stained equipment.

"Don't you look happy?" A smug voice interrupted my actions. I paused and huffed. I was so not in the mood for this.

I clenched my jaws and looked around. Everyone was still busy. "What do you want Damon?" I asked before resuming what I was doing.

"Just getting my daily dose of sunshine. You?" I started coughing violently when he said that. "Woah, you 'kay there?" He asked with a feigned innocent smile.

"I so don't have time for this." I said between coughs. I composed myself. "Yeah. I really don't have time for you. Not today. Not ever." I retorted, picking up my stuff and taking it over to the cleanup point where I dumped my paint-stained stuff before grabbing my bag and pushing past Damon to get away.

Damon followed me, catching up quickly. "But we were getting along so well..." He smirked as he walked beside me.

I snorted. "Would a deer be stupid enough to befriend a lion? Yes or no."

"If the deer is nice enough. Then yes."

I rolled my eyes and picked up my pace. Unfortunately, Damon decided then to flash in front of my path in the near empty parking lot. I groaned as he stood facing me. Did this guy not know how to take a hint or what? "Alright. Say whatever you have to say so I can quickly shoot you down and go on my merry way."

"That's cute." He smiled. I mimicked him before scowling. "Alright. So y'know Bonnie. Caroline gave her something of mine that she shouldn't have—"

"—Which caused you to harass and demean her until she had a breakdown at a party—"

"—Which wouldn't have happened if she didn't give away **my** stuff to other people like Bonnie."

"—Bonnie's the original owner. It's her family heirloom. So your point is void." I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes, staring hatefully at him.

He clenched his jaws before forcing a smile on his face to be civil. "Right. Anyways, I tried to get it back. Multiple times. It failed. Caroline couldn't get it away from the witch. And scaring and threatening the witch didn't work either. So I need your—"

"—You threatened Bonnie?" I questioned, looking around the parking lot as I crept closer to Damon. "What the hell!"

I pushed him with my glowing hands before the glow disappeared. He hissed a little before he grabbed my arms. I drew my hands back in shock. I groaned mentally. Great, I broke one of the rules already. "How 'bout you stop doing that? Would hate to see you drain yourself like that night." He paused as he looked away. "Though, I wouldn't mind you ending up in my bed ag—"

Thwack.

I slapped Damon with all my strength. He made my skin crawl sometimes with the way he acts and speaks. I shuddered as one of my hands went to my necklace. "Ouch. That hurt."

"Good."

"You are a violent person."

"On the contrary. I'm actually the nicest person you will ever meet."

"So you're saying, I bring out your wi—" He cut himself off when he noticed how pissed I looked. "Never mind." He put his hands up in defence. "I just wanted to ask if you could get my thing back. I'll be off your back if you do. In fact, I'll even leave town once I have all that I want. Great deal, huh." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he looked at me in hope.

"Pass." I replied, bored. I pushed past him to get to Bonnie's car.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. What do you mean 'pass'? I'm giving you what you want. Me out of this town. Out of everyone's life. Or do you not want me to leave? I mean I know I'm attractive but damn—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there before you make me flare up again." I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face him. "What I'm trying to say is. I'm passing on helping **you.** In fact, I refuse to get involved with any of you or your brother's messes or any supernatural stuff all together. So good luck with whatever you're looking for. But if you threaten one of my friends or family again. You can be sure, you'll find the council on your doorstep." I finished with a smile, turning around.

"Also, for the record, I definitely want you out of this town. And there other ways to get rid of you than giving you what you want." I added as I walked over to the side where Bonnie's car was parked.

* * *

Bonnie sat in the driver's seat complaining about Damon while Elena sat in the passenger seat agreeing with whatever she was saying. Now and then I would chime in adding my part from the backseat. I mean none of this was news to me. I knew Damon was dangerous from the start. "He's bad news. He really scared me." Bonnie confessed, gripping the steering wheel tight.

"Don't we know it." I silently muttered while Elena looked at me incredulously. "It's not breaking news, 'Lena." I shrugged. I was kind of getting numb to all that Damon did. We knew he was a terrible person, what else was new. It didn't help that he would come and tell me what he had done. Did he think that I was his conscious. Like his own personal 'Jiminy Cricket'. I blanched at that thought. The last thing I wanted was to be a psychotic vampire's conscious.

Elena huffed and took her eyes off me to look at Bonnie. "You need to stay as far away from Damon as possible." She said with a serious tone. "Especially you Ava."

"I'm trying!" Bonnie defended herself.

I scoffed. "I know you are, Bonbon. And Elena, you're acting like I go out of my way to find him or something. I don't. He just turns up wherever and whenever."

"Exactly. He just keeps showing up."

Gripping the passenger seat and the driver's seat, I leaned forward to look at Elena. "He doesn't know what boundaries are or when to take a hint. He could drive straight through a boundary and crash into it and he still wouldn't know what a boundary is."

Bonnie smiled for a second before going back to frowning while Elena looked at us in concern. She sighed. "I don't want you guys to be alone." She stated out loud, turning back in her seat. "You're sleeping at my place tonight, Bonnie. Ava's gonna join us as well."

"I am?" I asked, confused. I didn't sign up for an impromptu sleepover.

"You are." Elena confirmed, turning to look at the back seat. "We can make a whole night out of it." She added, looking forward.

We didn't say anything for a few moments. Bonnie continued driving. I saw her grip the steering wheel tightly before making a turn into a grassy field. She pulled over and we watched as she wordlessly got out of the car. Determined, She ripped out her necklace and let it swing in her hand as she walked over to the grassy field.

"Whoa! Where are you going?" Elena asked Bonnie, only to be ignored. "What is she doing?" She turned around and questioned me.

I shrugged and leaned forward to get a better look at Bonnie. Elena and I both stared at Bonnie as she stomped over to the field and threw her necklace. "She's getting rid of it." I muttered.

"Seriously?"

"No ugly necklace. No ghosts." I stated blankly, sitting back down.

Bonnie walked over to the car and got in. She breathed out a sigh in relief. "Are you okay?" Elena stared at Bonnie, shocked.

"Now I am. All my problems were because of that thing. Ava was right, I needed to get rid of that thing. I can't believe I didn't do that sooner."

"What's your Grams gonna say?"

"Grams isn't the one being haunted by a hundred and fifty-year-old ghost, is she?"

I laughed. "She has a point, 'Lena."

"Okay, then." Elena sighed and looked out the window, ending the conversation.

* * *

We rolled up to the Gilbert house driveway in awkward silence. Bonnie killed the engine after she parked her car. Wordlessly, we all got out, our moods were still dampened. Damon really had a talent of ruining moods without even being there. I walked behind my two best friends as I followed them into Elena's house. Bonnie headed straight to the kitchen while Elena lingered behind in the foyer.

"Jenna and Jeremy not home?" I asked, crossing the threshold of the Gilbert house.

Elena nodded, pacing back and forth the foyer, in deep thought. I pursed my lips and chose not to comment on her behaviour. I was about to follow Bonnie when Elena stopped and grabbed my arm. "Can I talk to you?" She asked quietly. I raised my eyebrows in confusion as Elena craned her head to look into the kitchen. "Alone." I nodded weakly and followed her to stand in front of the staircase.

She breathed out nervously and fidgeted around with her locket. The one that was given to her none other than Stefan. I smiled internally. She still cared about him. "It's about Damon...and Bonnie." She carefully said, making sure Bonnie was not listening.

"What about them?" I asked, tilting my head.

Elena licked her lips, trying to prepare her next words carefully. "I'm worried—"

"—You're always worried about something lately. What else is new?" I cut her off as I rolled my eyes and leaned against a wall at the foot of the staircase with my arms crossed.

"He threatened her!"

"I know. I was there when Bonnie told us."

"Exactly, we need to do something. Maybe call Stefan or we could—"

I got off the wall and placed my hands on Elena's shoulders. "One, I'm not getting involved in anything Damon related and you shouldn't either. And two, we don't need to do anything. Technically, it's not our problem anymore. That ugly thing is looong gone. Unless it magically pops out of somewhere. It's gone." I breathed out, turning my head away from her and removing my hands off her shoulders. "But call Stefan. Damon is his problem anyways."

"I...Fine. I'll call Stefan. But I wanna help Bonnie. I understand you can't get involved for whatever reason but this is Bonnie."

"And I care 'bout Bonnie as well but my hands are tied." I took a step back and folded my arms around me. "I nearly died the last time I got involved in Damon's mess, 'Lena."

"Hey..." Bonnie's small voice made me jump in surprise as her head poked out from the living room. "Woah, did I scare you, Ava." I shook my head, breathing out. "You're lying." She said in a sing-song voice before she turned to look at Elena. Her face dropped as she remembered that she accidentally interrupted our conversation. "Right. Um. I was just gonna ask if Ava was gonna cook tonight or are we getting take out?"

"Take out." "Take out." Elena and I answered at the same time. We shared a look before smiling.

"Take out, it is. I'll go scour through the menus." She replied before heading back to the kitchen.

"Wait. Actually." I changed my mind and stopped Bonnie. "I'll ask Caroline to pick up something from the grill." Bonnie stopped and nodded, disappearing into the kitchen.

I watched Bonnie leave and an idea popped into my head. "Hope you don't mind. I'm gonna invite Caroline over."

"To smooth things over with her and Bonnie?" Elena asked. I simply nodded. "Good idea. I'll go call Stefan." She stated quietly, leaving to make a call.

I nodded and pulled out my phone. "Ava?" Caroline's tired voice answered within a few seconds of the phone ringing.

"Who else? You free tonight?"

"Ugh. Unless you count overthinking about Matt then yes."

"Great! Stop overthinking and come over to Elena's. Girls' night."

"Is Bonnie gonna be there?"

"Uhhhh...Come on. You can't be mad at her forever over an ugly necklace."

Caroline groaned a little before she answered. "Fine. You're lucky I have nothing else planned. Want me to swing by the grill and grab something for the night."

"Took the words right out of my mouth. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I'll see you guys in a bit."

I ended the call, leaning back against the wall and stared at the ceiling. My thoughts wondered to Bonnie and her witchy problems. This was hard, not getting involved. The feeling of guilt was strong every time I told myself I wouldn't get involved. It was only a matter of time before I was dragged back in.

I sighed. I needed a better way to protect myself. I couldn't rely on these untrained abilities forever if I wanted to stay and graduate in Mystic Falls. I had two options, one, I train myself to use them. Downside, I could push myself too hard and die. Dying was not an option. Two, I try to convince my dad or uncle or someone from the Fitzroy family to teach me to defend myself. That would mean I would be showing interest in the family business. I groaned. My mom would never allow me to get involved in the family business.

Knock. Knock.

Quiet knocks interrupted my thoughts as I snapped my head to glare at the door. It was so quiet that if I wasn't so close to the door, I would almost miss it. Stefan was here, I thought. Just as I was about to react, Elena ran down the stairs. I moved aside and let her through. She smiled gratefully as she stood outside the door. She quickly fixed her hair before she opened the door to greet Stefan. I snorted, she really wanted to get back with him. It was cute but at the same time, hypocritical. Like she's not the one breaking up with him over anything.

"I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important." Elena began, gesturing me to follow her outside to the porch.

"I know that." Stefan replied, taking a few steps back to make room for me and Elena.

Elena stepped onto the porch as I followed her, making sure to pull the door closed behind me. "He threatened her, Stefan." She ran her hands through her hair as she spoke.

"What would Damon want with Bonnie?"

I folded my arms and raised my eyebrows. "I thought you would know."

"I don't. If I did, I would stop him before anyone got hurt."

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "Yeah, 'course you would." I muttered under my breath.

Elena looked between me and Stefan. She sighed seeing I was back to being hostile with Stefan. She took a step between us to mediate the situation and take charge of it. "She has this necklace." She blurted out while giving me a look to behave. "Caroline got it from Damon, and she gave it to Bonnie, and now Damon wants it back. He's tormenting her."

"Over a necklace?" Stefan asked, looking confused or he was faking it. I don't know.

"It's not just any necklace. It has to do with Bonnie's heritage. It belonged to one of her ancestors who lived here during the Civil War.." Elena trailed off. I bit my lips as I stared at Elena. She was really standing here and telling Stefan, Bonnie's whole history without even asking Bonnie for permission.

Elena's eyes widened as she stared at Stefan. "—When you and Damon lived here..."

"Her name was Emily. She was Katherine's handmaiden, and a witch."

"You know? About Bonnie?"

"The first night that you invited me over for dinner, I made the connection."

"And now Damon knows, and for some reason he wants that necklace."

"What does it look like?

"It's an antique iron setting with a—"

" —with an amber crystal. I know it. It belonged to Katherine. Emily gave it to her, which means that…"

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at Stefan. "So you know about the necklace and why Damon wants it?" I spoke out after just listening to the two.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find it out. Let me talk to Damon."

"Will he tell you?" Elena asked.

"I'll get it out of him."

I snorted. "Pfft. Yeah. And then what?" I asked, walking towards the door but stopping to turn and look at Stefan. "Look, we may be friends now in some weird way but I have a hard time trusting you when it comes to Damon. So what are you gonna do about it?"

"I'll stop him if I have to." He retorted without a hesitation.

"And that's worked out so well so far. Hmm." I turned away from him.

"I'm sorry that you had to put your life on the line for Lexi because of Damon." I turned around to face him. He walked towards me. "I appreciate what you did. More than you ever know." He said as he looked at me sincerely.

"You said that 'that night'." I pointed out

"And I still mean it." Stefan replied. I could tell that he too was suffering because of Damon. All of sudden I started feeling guilty for judging him too harshly.

I didn't say anything for a moment. I breathed out tiredly. I was so torn between my family's belief and my own that I didn't know what to do. Finally, I decided to break my silence. "Just make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. Elena, I'm going back inside. Call me if you need me."

I left Elena and Stefan standing on the porch and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the door and breathed out. Damon may be the least of my problems after all. The secret of Emily's necklace was what was worrying me now.

* * *

I flicked through my sketchbook as Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena were preparing dinner. I took my eyes off the book to look at my friends only to catch Elena give Caroline a look. Caroline sighed and rolled her eyes before turning to Bonnie.

"I'm sorry. There. I said it. If you want the ugly-ass necklace, keep it. It's yours." Caroline reluctantly apologized as she took out a container from the paper bag in the middle of the counter.

"Finally." I said in a sing-song voice as Caroline scowled at me.

Bonnie pulled at her sleeves and stared at Caroline with a guilty look. "Will you hate me if I tell you I threw it away?

"You threw it away?" Caroline gaped at Bonnie.

"I know it sounds crazy, but the necklace was giving me nightmares. I had to get rid of it."

"You could have just given it back to me."

I silently watched Elena clench her jaws and move towards Caroline. "Why? So you could give it back to Damon?" She interrupted the two.

"Oh my god. Elena. I thought we agreed to not bring him up. He's a dick and that's all we need to know about him." I retorted, folding my arms.

"Ava's right. Screw Damon. Are we doing manicures or what? Who has their kit?" Caroline smiled, putting down a container of food down on the counter.

"Mine's in my bag." Bonnie replied tiredly.

Caroline nodded at Bonnie with a smile and hopped to go get the kit. "So, Elena...how long do you think this fight with Stefan's gonna last? Is it...like a permanent thing?" She asked as she rifled through Bonnie's purse for the kit.

"I don't know, Caroline." Elena replied tiredly, waving her hand.

Caroline didn't reply to Elena. Instead she went silent for a moment before she scoffed and picked up something from Bonnie's purse. Gone was the joy from her face. It was replaced with anger. "Why are you such a little liar, Bonnie?" She questioned with a tone of betrayal.

Bonnie got up from her seat and turned towards Caroline. "What?"

"Caroline!" "Not again. Caroline!" Elena and I spoke at the same time, shocked that Caroline was back to picking a fight with Bonnie.

Caroline rolled her eyes and held a chain. We all gasped in shock. It was Emily's crystal. It was back in Bonnie's bag. But how? We saw Bonnie throw it into a field. Then how did it end up in Bonnie's purse.

I leaned towards Elena and dropped my voice. "What do y'know it did magically pop up." I commented quietly so only Elena would be able to hear me. She turned to give me a look to stop and I recoiled.

"I'm not lying to you, Caroline. I swear." Bonnie defended herself.

"It's true. We watched her throw it into a field!" Elena jumped to Bonnie's defence in an instant. I nodded fiercely at Elena's statement.

The blonde waved the necklace in front of us all. "Then explain it."

We all stared at each other in shock while Caroline looked angry. Elena opened and closed her mouth, trying to find an explanation that wouldn't freak Caroline out. "Emily." Bonnie muttered.

"Who's Emily?"

"The ghost."

"Oh, the ghost has a name now?" She replied sarcastically as she put her hands on her hips.

"Caroline, please." Elena tried to calm Caroline down only for her to get more angry.

"I wonder why she won't leave me alone." Bonnie ignored Caroline as she glanced at me and Elena with a scared look on her face.

"What is going on? Why am I not a part of this conversation? You guys do this to me all the time. And now you have Ava being involved in this too."

"That's not true." Elena replied quietly.

I got up from my seat, closing my sketchbook and tried to get everyone to calm down before a full-blown fight took place. "Guys, let's calm down—"

"Yes it is. I can't talk to you. You don't listen." Bonnie ignored me and cut me off as she stared down at Caroline.

"That's not true." Caroline retorted.

"I'm a witch."

"And don't we all know it?"

"See? That's what I'm talking about. I'm trying to tell you something. You don't even hear it." Bonnie sighed and walked off, leaving me and Elena alone with Caroline.

Caroline scoffed and held a hand to her chest, looking offended. She turned to look at me and Elena "I listen. When do I not listen?" She asked, staring at both of us in an effort to get some support.

"All the freaking time." I stated, tiredly. I gently pushed past her to go after Bonnie.

* * *

Bonnie sat in the living room, all alone. Her head on the arms of a couch while she stared aimlessly in the space in front of her. Her head snapped to look at me when she heard me coming. She gave me a small smile and gestured for me to take a seat beside her.

"Did I overreact back then?" She asked, turning away to stare at the Gilbert family fireplace.

I sighed and took a seat beside her. "Yes and no."

"It's just Emily. I don't know what she wants with me. I can't even ask Grams without her telling me to embrace it. I don't wanna embrace it."

I laughed a little and clasped my hands in front of me. "I thought you wanted to learn the witchy stuff. I mean, I remember you complaining every time I went over to your Grams to practice how I was far ahead of you."

"Lemme rephrase that. I meant I wanted to learn witchcraft, not get haunted by an ancestor of mine through a stupid medallion-thing."

"Well when life gives you lemons..."

Bonnie took her head off from the arm of the couch and stared at me. "I'm just so tired and scared. I just want Emily to leave me alone. I thought getting rid of that thing like you said would get rid of her." She grabbed my hands and pouted.

_The moment I touched Bonnie, I was pulled blindly into a dark forest by her. No longer was I at Elena's house. No, I was somewhere else. I was outside in the forests that surrounded this town. The canopy let little star light filter through, there was a faint sound of disagreements and chanting. As I walked under the dark tresses of the trees my feet caressed the damp flesh of the forest ground._

_All of a sudden the smell of smoke had me moving right away, no time to gather my thoughts, I sprinted towards the scent. I reached a clearing that was lit up. Amber flames flickered and danced madly with no thought of the oxygen or the fuel they consume. In the center of the flames, stood a girl. Her head was turned downwards towards the dirt floor while her brunette hair cascaded down the sides of her face. She looked to be in deep thought._

_Without any hesitation, I crept forward. Dead autumn leaves scrunched under my feet, almost startling me. I squinted my eyes to stare at the person in the center of the fiery circle. It was hard to see. The heat from the fire almost blinded my senses. "Bonnie." I heard someone scream out just as Bonnie threw something in the air. The object she threw sparked and fizzed before it exploded in the air into million pieces. Sparks flew everywhere, showering us in it's bright glow._

_Then the fires slowly died, they danced no more. I rushed to Bonnie's side, only for my hands to go right through her. She swayed a little on her feet, when the fires disappeared completely, giving me a complete look of my surroundings. Elena was being held back by Stefan on the other side while Damon looked on in heartbreak and anger at Bonnie. "No!" Damon screamed out before lunging at Bonnie's neck._

" _Bonnie! No!" I tried to pry Damon off Bonnie but to no avail. My hands kept going through her. Come on, move. He didn't budge one bit. He came up for air. His face bloody and monstrous while Bonnie's screams filled the now darkened forest._

Then I was back in Elena's living room. Bonnie eyes on me, concerned. I panted loudly, trying to catch my breath. Breathing in and out. I tried to tell myself it wasn't real. It wasn't real. Not yet, it wasn't. The small voice on the back of my head whispered. I scowled at that thought. I was going to be damned before I let anything happen to Bonnie.

"Am I interrupting something?" Caroline asked behind me.

I blinked twice to get rid of the images in my head and shook my head. Mindlessly, I got up and started heading to the kitchen, only to be stopped by Elena. She grabbed my arm and pulled me behind the wall she was hiding. Before I could protest, she put her hand over my mouth and gestured for me to stay quiet. She wanted us to eavesdrop on their conversation. I stared at Elena bored and gave her a look. She shrugged and pointed at the living room.

"Bonnie. Look, it's just not me. I don't believe in the…'woo woo'." Caroline paused. "But, if you do, then...okay. I'm in. That's all it takes for me to jump on board, because I consider you to be my best friend. And I'm saying this, knowing that Elena and Ava are in the kitchen listening to my every word. Look, I didn't know how real this was for you, but I'm listening now. Okay?" She finished her apology. "You guys can come in now. We're done."

Elena let go of me and shyly walked up to Caroline and Bonnie while I followed her with a pout. I can't believe she dragged me into eavesdropping on our friends. "There is just way too much drama in this room." Caroline stated.

Elena crashed on to the arm of the couch where Caroline and Bonnie sat on while I walked to stand behind the couch, leaning forward and spreading my arms on top of the couch. "So, what do you guys wanna do? I have an idea. Why don't we have a séance?" She suggested with a devious grin.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Bonnie nervously replied looking at me and Elena for support.

Elena didn't say anything instead she looked at me for help. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Caroline. "Bonnie's right. Séances during a sleep over spell the beginning of a horror movie."

"God. You're so over-dramatic." Caroline craned her head to stare at me. "Come on. Let's summon some spirits. This Emily chick has some serious explaining to do." She said getting up.

Elena shrugged and followed after Caroline to gather the supplies for séance while Bonnie and I helped find candles and other materials. After gathering the supplies, we headed up the stairs, arms full of materials for the séance. Now and then I would fidget around and steal a glance at Bonnie, the image of her bloody neck still fresh in my mind.

* * *

Caroline pushed open Elena's bedroom door and dumped the candles on to a side while Elena and I got to work moving around her furniture and rug to make space for the séance. This was a bad idea. I could feel it in my bones. I sighed, so much for not doing anything supernatural.

Rug and furniture moved, Caroline moved the candles to the center of Elena's room. She carefully placed the candles in a small circle, putting the tallest pillar candle in the center and shortest ones beside it. Bonnie nervously brought forward a lit matchstick and carefully lit the candles. She threw me a nervous look as she lit the final candle. She too didn't want this séance to happen. Who could blame her? There were so many things that could go wrong.

Bonnie, Elena and Caroline sat in a circle around the lit candles, all holding hands. Caroline left me a space next to her and Bonnie as I went off to the light switch. "This is a bad idea." I commented out-loud while I turned off the lights and joined the circle. Darkness plunged the room while some light from the candles illuminated the faces of my friends. I shivered a little watching the flames flicker and dance. The image of the fiery circle with Bonnie in the center etched in my mind.

"I know right?" Bonnie replied quietly as I sat down. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know." Elena answered.

"Be quiet and concentrate." Caroline snapped, grabbing my hands. "Close your eyes. Now take a deep breath. Bonnie. Call to her."

I heard Bonnie take a deep audible breath before she prepared to speak. "Emily, you there?"

I snorted while Caroline huffed loudly. "Really? 'Emily, you there?' That's all you got? Come on."

"Caroline. Be nice." I chastised Caroline while she scowled.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying Bonnie could do a better job of this. She's not taking this seriously. None of you are."

"Fine, geez. I'll take this seriously." Bonnie retorted. "Emily. I call on you. I know you have a message. I'm here to listen."

I shivered a little as a chill passed through me. The candles flickered a little before they flared up violently. The flames grew high before it deflated and went back to its original shape. We all let go and stared at each other in shock and horror. I turned my gaze back to stare at the now-harmless flames as it danced carelessly in the air.

"Did that just…" Elena breathed out.

"Yeah, it just happened." Caroline commented.

"I'm telling you guys, this is a bad idea." I added in, repeating what I had said for god knows what time.

Caroline gasped and hugged herself as she shivered a little. "It's just the air conditioning." Bonnie tried to reassure us.

"Ask her to show you a sign." Caroline sucked in a breath and stared at Bonnie. When Bonnie didn't reply, she looked annoyed. "Ask her." She tried again to make Bonnie ask Emily more than what she wanted her to ask. Only for Bonnie to ignore her again out of fear. In annoyance, Caroline took the matters in her own hands. "Emily, if you're among us, show us another sign."

We all waited with bated breaths for something to happen. Flames growing higher. Wind howling or the air thickening. But nothing. Nothing happened. Elena and I sighed in relief while Caroline looked disappointed and Bonnie looked nervous. This was gonna be a long night.

After a period of silence, Bonnie decided to break it. "See? It's not working." Just as she said this, the windows burst open, scaring us. Wind howled as the air got colder. The flames grew to almost our height. Bonnie let go of mine and Elena's hands in fear as she got up.

"I can't, I'm done." Distraught, she put her hands up to tell us it was over before it went up to her neck. She ripped the necklace off of her neck and threw it on the ground next to the candles. The moment the necklace landed next to the candles, the candlelights flickered and burned out, plunging the room back in darkness. "Get the light. Please, get the light!" She begged as she sounded close to crying.

Across from me Elena scrambled to get up. "Hold on. I got it." She said as she ran to get the lights. She flicked the lights on.

I blinked, trying to get used to the light again. I looked around. Caroline got up from the floor and stared at Bonnie in apprehension and disbelief while Elena looked concerned. "You guys, the necklace. It's gone." Bonnie spoke out first, pointing at the floor where the necklace was thrown to. I craned my head to get a good look at the floor near Bonnie, moving my hair out of the way.

I turned away to share a look with Elena. "Okay, fun's over, Caroline. You made a point, and I get it. Now give it back."

I wanted to slap my face with my hands. This was so not what I was trying to tell her. I sighed loudly and stepped forward. "Elena, come on. Caroline, wouldn't do that and y'know it."

"Thank you. At least, someone here believes me. I'm not a thief. I didn't take it." Caroline retorted but Elena's focus was elsewhere. She jumped a little. "What? What happened?" Caroline asked, turning around behind her to look at the dark hallway.

"I don't know." Elena didn't bother apologizing and answered. Her eyes wandered to the doorway as she focused something. She gasped. We all stared at her confused. "Nothing. Jeremy, are you home?" She walked into the hall to check for her brother. While the rest of us split up to find that stupid necklace.

I went over to the windowsill to look for the necklace while Caroline looked elsewhere. Bonnie went to the bathroom. "Guys…" Bonnie called out from in front of the bathroom. I turned on my feet to face her and look at her. She held up the necklace. I watched it swing from her hands. Before I could react, the door slammed shut as soon as she was inside the room. I ran to the door, trying to pull the door open. "You guys open the door! Help me!" Bonnie begged as she pounded on the door.

"Caroline! Elena! Help!" I called out as I tried to pry open the door.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! What's going on, Bonnie?" Elena ran towards me and the door. She stared at me and then tried to pull open the door. "What happened?!"

"I didn't do anything! The door just closed on it's own!" I replied, pounding on the door.

"Bonnie!" Caroline shouted as she joined us.

We all pounded on the door to let Bonnie out but the door would not budge. Bonnie's screams rang out throughout the house as we pounded on the door.

Elena slowly backed off and turned to Caroline. "Try the other door. I'll check the hallway." Before Caroline or I could reply she was gone.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Unlock the door!" Caroline slammed the door with her hands, shouting. Tears of concern were streaming down her face.

"Come on, Bon! Open the Door!" I called out, slamming my body on to the door. I winced as I pulled back.

On the other side, Elena pounded on the door. That door was also locked. "Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie! Open the door!" Elena pounded on the other side a few times before running back to join us.

I turned to stare at her as I panted and tried to catch my breath from slamming my body on the door. Elena clutched her head and Caroline continued pounding on the door. I looked up when the lights started flickering violently. Slowly, Bonnie's screams died out. We all stared at each other in horror for a few seconds when the door opened on it's own. Bonnie stood on the other side. Her hair dishevelled as she stood with her head in her hands. She stood there for a few moments unmoving and silent. Gone was her screams, replaced with an eerie silence.

Elena was the first to react as she crept closer to Bonnie and put her hand on her shoulders. "What happened? Are you okay?"

For a moment, Bonnie didn't react. Then she threw back her hair and stood up a little straighter than she usually did. "I'm fine." She replied with a serene smile on her face that looked too foreign to be her own.

Caroline gasped. "Unbelievable. You were totally faking it."

"Caroline, come on." Elena tried to calm Caroline down.

"No!" Caroline pushed Elena's hands off of her and turned to glare at Bonnie. "You scared the hell out of me." She turned away from us.

"She didn't do it on purpose, I'm sure of it." I immediately started defending Bonnie. I knew it must have been Emily who did that because Bonnie was not that type of person. "Bonnie?" I called out. Bonnie didn't budge or react in any way.

Elena stared at Bonnie in concern as she stood still. Her only actions were of her putting on that cursed necklace. "Bonnie?" She repeated.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine." Bonnie replied the same thing with that creepy serene smile. Her eyes unfocused as she walked past us, marching down the stairs.

We all shared a look with each other before we followed her. Elena, Caroline and I stopped at the landing. "I can't believe I fell for it." Caroline commented, annoyed as we walked down the hallway.

Elena ignored Caroline and stared at Bonnie. "Are you okay?" She called out.

"I must go." Bonnie replied instead of answering Elena's question, pushing past us to walk down the stairs.

I tilted my head in confusion before I followed her down. I grabbed her arm before she made it down. "What do you mean you 'must go', go where?" I asked, taking a step closer to Bonnie.

"I must go back." She said, pushing me aside.

Caroline huffed audibly. "She's leaving. I'm leaving." She said.

I took my eyes off Bonnie for a second to take a glance at the blonde. "Caroline…" I began.

"I'm too freaked out to stay. I'm sorry Ava." Caroline apologized.

"You guys can't leave." Elena tried to stop Bonnie and Caroline from leaving.

Caroline shook off Elena's attempts. "I can. I've had enough freaky fake witch stuff for one night." She retorted.

"Thank you for having me. I'll take it from here." Bonnie stated. Her voice, still eerily calm while her eyes were still blank as she shook off my grip and continued to march down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"Back to where it all began."

I tilted my head. "Back to where it all began?" I repeated quietly. My eyes widened with realization. This wasn't Bonnie. I ran down and sprang into action as I grabbed hold of Bonnie's arm again, stopping her at the threshold of Elena's house. "I can't let you leave, Emily. This isn't right. Bonnie doesn't deserve to be involved." I quietly muttered, trying to convince Emily to leave Bonnie alone. The image of the fire-y circle in the middle of the forest flashed into my mind.

Her head snapped to look at me. She smiled. It was calm, composed and creepy. "You're right, she doesn't." I stared at her with wide eyes, my grips loosened. "But this must be done. I can't let them out."

"Let who out? Emily—" I was cut off as I felt the air being knocked out of my lungs when I was pushed onto the floor by an unseen and violent force. I landed on my back. My eyes staring up on the ceiling. I coughed and groaned, trying to make sense of what just happened.

"To save her. I had to save them all. I can't let them out." Emily numbly stated. A hint of desperation filled her tone. I gasped in pain, trying to get up. I managed to barely sit up. My eyes met Bonnie's dull lifeless one. Her eyes darted to the stone around my neck and she gave a small smile before turning away.

"Bonnie! Bonnie!" Elena's voice rang through the house as she rushed to the stairs.

I pushed myself off the floor, groaning in pain as I did so while Emily stared at me apologetically before turning away and walking out the door. "Oh My God!" Elena shouted from the top of the staircase.

"That's not Bonnie." I said loudly in pain. "That's—"

"Emily!" Elena shouted out.

Emily stopped on the porch. Her mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. "I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed." With that, the door shut closed on her face.

"Wait!" "Emily!" Elena and I shouted at the same time but to no avail. Elena ran down the stairs to the front door. She pounded on the door and gripped the handle, pulling and pushing it, trying to get it to open.

"What's happening?" Caroline asked with fear.

"I don't know. The door, it's not…" Elena struggled with the door, pounding it once more.

I leaned against the wall, already healing but still in pain. "The door won't open until she wants it too. Emily must have done something."

The girls' heads snapped to stare at me. Elena looked at me incredulously. I shrugged and tried to help them open the door. It didn't budge. I tried again. Didn't budge again. Just as we were about to give up. The door opened. Elena and Caroline screamed in fear as I flinched. Jeremy was on the other side instead of Emily. I put my hands to my ears to block out the screams

Jeremy stared at us confused as the girls continued screaming. "What the hell?" He asked, pushing past us.

"I'm outta here." Caroline threw her hands in the air and walked out the door. No one tried to stop her this time.

I breathed out, trying to calm myself as I paced back and forth, biting my lips before my head snapped to look at Elena. I couldn't just sit still knowing that Emily was going to put Bonnie's life in danger. "Call Stefan." I commanded her as I swung open the door. "Tell him Bonnie is headed to the woods." I paused, trying to rack my head for an exact location. "Fell's Church."

"What about 'Fell's Church'?" Elena asked, panting, trying to catch her breath.

"Emily's headed to the ruins of Fell's Church where it all began." I said, realizing the true meaning of Bonnie's dreams and Emily's words. "Bonnie's dreams, remember?"

Elena nodded as she finally caught on to what I was trying to say. I nodded and picked up my bag from the living room before walking out the door. I made it to the driveway before Elena realized I was leaving. "Where are you going?" She called out from the front of the door.

"Home." I called back out, hugging my jacket around me.

"You're leaving! What about Bonnie?"

"I need to pick something up. Call Stefan." I said, turning around and running in the direction of the Fitzroy estate. I had made up my mind. I was gonna save Bonnie but I couldn't go empty handed. If I couldn't use my abilities without hurting myself, there were other ways of doing it.

* * *

Dead autumn leaves scrunched beneath my feet as I walked through the forest. Cold late autumn wind howled quietly, swaying the branches above me. I pulled my denim jacket tighter around me with my free hand and continued onwards. I needed to pick up my pace and find the stupid ruins before it was too late. It was harder to find the ruins in the cover of night than it was in the day. There were no sounds or any trails to lead me to Bonnie's whereabouts. I huffed and closed my eyes. I know I wasn't supposed to use my powers but I had no choice. I tried to focus on Bonnie and her thoughts. Nothing. Nothing came to me. Only my thoughts floated in my head as I stomped through the woods. I huffed loudly about to curse out loud when I stopped.

The smell of smoke hit my senses, numbing me for a second before I sprinted towards the scent. I was too late. I pushed past the tall imposing trees, almost tripping on some roots before catching myself before I reached the clearing from my vision. Just like my vision it was lit up in a circle. But what my vision didn't show me was that it wasn't a circle of fire that entrapped Bonnie. No, it was a different shape. It was a pentagram.

The ominously bright amber flames flickered and danced around the pentagram while Emily stood in the center of the flames. Her head was turned downwards towards the dirt floor while her brunette hair cascaded down the sides of her face. She looked to be in deep thought. I crept forward and squinted my eyes to get a better view of Bonnie. It was hard to see past the dancing flames. The heat almost blinded my senses. "Emily!" I shouted, trying to catch her attention.

Her head snapped to look at me as she clutched her amulet in Bonnie's hand. Damon and Stefan from the other side of the flames also stared at me in shock, realizing that I was there. "I can't let them out." She repeated, anger clear in her voice.

I opened my mouth, ready to retort but Elena beat me to it. Her voice rang out through the woods as she screamed out Bonnie's name, breaking through the clearing on the other side. Stefan grabbed her and stopped her from jumping into the flames. Emily gave me one last look as she threw the crystal in the air. She muttered something too quiet for me to hear before the crystal sparked and shattered in the air into million pieces. Sparks flew everywhere, showering us in it's bright glow. The fires swayed and flickered before they disappeared all together. Bonnie swayed, a little before quickly catching herself before she hit the ground.

Hesitantly, I took a step towards her. "Bonnie?" I called, trying to grab her attention and check if Emily had left.

Bonnie gasped and groaned, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She looked around the ruins to get a sense of her whereabouts. She stopped and turned to look at me. "Ava?" She breathed out, confused. I sighed in relief. Bonnie was back. "What's going on? Wher—"

"No!" Before anyone could react, Damon cut her off lunging at her.

"Damon! Get away!" I tried to grab his attention but he didn't budge one bit.

"I just wanted her back." He came up for air. His face caked with blood while some stray tears slid down his face. Bonnie's screams echoed throughout the dark forest.

All the while Stefan held Elena back. "Do something, Stefan!" Elena begged Stefan as he cradled her body in his arms, stopping her from doing anything stupid.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped back into the darkness of the woods and loaded up the crossbow in my hand. I pulled a notch to unfold it while I took out some wooden arrows. Notched the string and placed the arrows in and aimed for Damon. I wasn't as strong or skilled at these compared to the other members of my family. I knew I couldn't kill him with these and I couldn't use my abilities without hurting myself either but this was enough to buy Stefan some time. My hands shook as I tried to aim but adrenaline pushed me on.

Closing one eye to aim, I shot Damon once. He flinched back and howled in pain. He looked around the dark woods for the assailant while I reloaded the crossbow. I shot him again, recoiling a little from the force of the weapon.

"Stefan!" I called out from my hiding place. Stefan took the hint as he pounced on Damon, letting Elena go to tend Bonnie. He pulled his brother away from Bonnie who lay on the floor bleeding. I quickly put down the crossbow, shoved it into my bag and ran out of my hiding space to sit down on the forest floor to check up on Bonnie while Elena stood next to me.

Stefan flashed towards us and felt around for her pulse. Elena looked at him about to ask him if Bonnie was alive. "She's alive, but barely. I can save her." He remarked, feeling her pulse. I sagged in relief. Bonnie was alive. But barely. I stared at my hands and contemplated healing her. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to think quick.

"Do it." I said with no hesitation.

Stefan nodded while Elena looked between me and him confused. Her mouth opening and closing, unable to comprehend what was happening. Then he bit into his wrist and placed it over Bonnie's mouth. Drops off crimson dripped off his wrist which had started to slowly heal into Bonnie's mouth. Bonnie's eyes snapped open as she awoke with a gasp. She struggled to breathe and talk but her eyes darted around the surroundings.

"Her neck, it's healing." Elena quietly remarked. I closed my eyes and stood up, carefully lifting Bonnie up with me. While Elena was still lost, she had enough sense to help me and Stefan pick Bonnie off the ground.

* * *

"I don't understand, what happened to me? He attacked me, and his face was like…" Bonnie stood up on her own. She still swayed now and then so one of her arms was on my shoulders for support.

Elena and I shared a look. We needed to tell Bonnie the truth soon. "How do you feel? Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. It's just this blood. I don't…" Bonnie trailed off when she noticed Stefan approaching us. She started shaking a little and limped to hide behind me in fear.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." Stefan said quietly, putting his hands up to show his was telling the truth.

"Trust him." I breathed out. "He's the good one." I commented, defending Stefan. He did save Bonnie. And I guess I was being a little too harsh on him. Stefan smiled gratefully at me while I bit my cheek.

Bonnie gasped. "Trust him?" She repeated, confused. "Guys, what's going on?"

"We'll explain everything, Bonnie. Okay?" Elena gently grabbed Bonnie and tried to calm her down. "Let's just get out of here." She pulled Bonnie towards her car.

But Bonnie didn't budge, her arm still over my shoulders as she stared deeply into Stefan's eyes, still trying to make sense of what was going on. Elena huffed and gave me a look to help her. "Bonnie. Bonnie, look at me. Trust me. Trust Ava. He's not going to hurt you. Come on. Come on." She turned to look at me. "A little help." I nodded and carefully helped lead Bonnie to Elena's car.

"Can you take over from here? I'm gonna—"

"It's fine. Go. I got Bonnie." I lightly shoved Elena towards Stefan and went to help Bonnie into the car. Bonnie got into the back seat and lay down sideways on the seat.

She clutched her head. "My head hurts." She complained, a little. I turned away from her and went to replace my crossbow with my first aid kit. I placed it on the floor of the car and took out some rubbing alcohol and cotton balls. Getting up a little, Bonnie turned in her seat to stare at me. "Huh. I finally get why you carry that thing around." I shrugged tiredly.

Carefully, I started tending to any leftover wounds and bruises while also making sure to wipe the blood of her neck. My hands shook a little while I did so. "Is the crossbow also part of the first aid kit? Hmm. God—Elena's is in an on/off relationship with a vampire while you're Buffy with the ability to summon sunlight." Bonnie joked quietly with a sad smile.

I discarded the bloody cotton balls into a small plastic bag in my bag and started putting away the kit. "I'm not Buffy." I retorted. I wasn't. I barely knew what I was doing.

"And I believe you. You saved my life by shooting Damon with a freakin' crossbow. Ava." She clasped her hands together and stretched a little. "What happened? You left six years ago and now you're back with all these…"

I grabbed her hands and rubbed them soothingly. "I swear, I'll explain everything I know to you and Elena but not here, not now." I flipped open the kit again and took out some painkillers. I handed her a water bottle and the painkillers. "Here. Vampire blood doesn't heal everything." Bonnie nodded and grabbed the things out of my hand.

* * *

Leaving Bonnie alone for a while, I stomped over to the ruins. I left my bag with her but made sure to grab the crossbow. Quietly, I pulled the notch to unfold it and loaded it. Notched the string and shut one eye as I aimed at the back of the man hunched over. I pressed the trigger and let the arrows fly.

Unlike before, they never hit him. Damon caught the arrows and flashed in front of me. He stared at me as he crushed them and tossed them aside. "That trick won't work twice." He commented with a sombre look. "Work on your stealth, firefly." He patted my shoulders and started to walk away.

I put down the crossbow and shook his hands off me. "It was supposed to be a warning shot, asshole."

"Really?" He turned on his feet to look at me. "Didn't feel like it. Felt like you aimed for the kill."

I looked away and scoffed. "I don't kill. I'm not you." I blurted out. "But that doesn't mean—"

"You're gonna turn me in to the Council. Don't bother." He bent down to examine the discarded arrows. "These are well made. I see your family is still in the vampire hunting business." He twirled a piece of the broken arrow before discarding it again. "Anyways. I'm giving you what you want."

"What I want?" I tilted my head and glared at him.

He smiled sadly. "You want me out of this town. I'm getting out your hair and leaving."

I took a step back, almost dropping the crossbow in shock. I caught it before it fell and stood up straighter, trying to look intimidating. "You're leaving?"

"Yep. Go celebrate or something." He gestured me to leave.

But I held my ground. "That's it! You attack Bonnie and now you're trying to leave with no consequences."

"Oh!" He flashed to stand in front of me. "I'm facing the consequences alright! I just lost the chance to be reunited with the love of my life while your friend lives."

I clenched my jaws. "Katherine."

"Mm-hmm." He made a noise but clearly upset over the outcome of things as he turned away again.

"You did all of this for Katherine. Made Stefan's life hell. Turned Vicki, forcing Stefan to kill her. Made Jeremy and Matt's life miserable. Harassed Elena. Tried to kill Bonnie. All for Katherine." I said to myself. "I don't even know her but I already hate this bitch." I muttered under my breath.

Damon hissed as he flashed towards me and pushed me towards a wall. "Don't." He threatened me, pushing my stray strands of my hair out of my face. "I don't want to hurt you."

I pushed him off of me and got away from him. "That's rich, coming from someone who just tried to rip my best friend's throat out." I picked up the crossbow and aimed it at him before putting it down.

"She's alive."

"Thanks to Stefan." I spat out. "Y'know, I don't know what kinda girl this Katherine is but from what I'm finding out. She doesn't seem all that." I paused. "Turning you and your brother against each other, turning you into a monster but you're right I don't know anything. So goodbye. I hope I never see you ever again." I said quietly, turning away and leaving.

I don't know why I was bothering. He was leaving so why provoke him. I groaned. Seeing Damon always made my common sense go out the window. He was that annoying but right now a part of me pitied him. Katherine played with him. That was obvious. What scared me was the possibility of Katherine coming back. I still didn't know for sure if I really saw Lydia's memories at that week of the Founder's Ball but regardless I had a feeling that this Katherine was dangerous and another vampire for me to worry about.

* * *

> _30th November 2009,_
> 
> _I feel tired, angry and scared but nonetheless I'm here and alive. I write this sitting in Elena Gilbert's living room in the aftermath of what may be one of the worst nights of my life. All of this was caused by Damon Salvatore's obsessive love for this Katherine. Katherine. It's a name that keeps popping up everywhere. Tonight, because of Damon's obsession, Bonnie Bennett, one of my best friends, almost died. He ripped her throat open like the monster I knew he was._
> 
> _A crystal was the reason for his anger. Emily Bennett, Katherine's handmaid, took over Bonnie's body and destroyed that crystal. Yes, Katherine, again. She's a bigger ghost than Emily. Emily simply haunted Bonnie's nightmares. And Bonnie's only while this Katherine haunts all of us even those of us who have never met her. I don't know who she is but I don't like her at all. Damon's recent action is making me think that she may not be dead after all._
> 
> _Stefan said that Damon convinced Emily to save Katherine and to save her, Emily had to save them all. But what if Katherine escaped the fire and left town while Damon convinced Emily to seal the tomb to save her then there is a possibility that she may not be in the tomb. It's a stupid idea and makes me look paranoid but it's not something I can rule out._
> 
> _I still can't get Bonnie's bleeding neck_ _out of my mind. There was so much blood. I didn't think she was going to make it. She almost didn't, if Stefan was there. Granted, I could have also healed Bonnie but it would have taken a toll on me. I still don't know how to use my powers without wasting myself away. Till I find a way to control and use them without hurting myself, I'll limit myself to using them. Use them sparingly if I have to._
> 
> _At least, most of my problems will go away now that Damon is leaving. But If he wasn't here in the first place. Vicki would be here. Caroline would be happy. Elena would be safe. I would have a normal life. Sometimes, I wish he never came to Mystic Falls. Sometimes, I wish I never came back here. Then again, it's not too late for me to leave._
> 
> _The question is, do I want to leave all of this behind?_
> 
> _\- Ava R. Fitzroy_

I shut my journal and stared at the ceiling. Upstairs, Bonnie and Elena were having a heart to heart conversation about Stefan and vampires. I had already confessed to them both a little about my family history but not too much. I left them to talk about their own experiences while I decided to get some space to clear my head. Sighing, I walked over to the Gilbert kitchen and took out a tub of ice cream from the fridge.

Tub of ice cream in one hand while some spoons in the other and my journal underneath my arm with a pen tucked inside the journal. I carefully tread to the foyer to go up the stairs. I stopped as a bitter chill took over me, making me shiver a little. It was probably the ice cream tub, I thought mindlessly.

My eyes wandered to the door where Jenna stood, talking to someone. "—Aren't you gonna invite me in?" Someone asked from the other side.

I narrowed my eyes at those words and slowly turned towards Jenna. She looked conflicted and looked side to side, trying to find an excuse to not let him in. "Jenna?" I called out, grabbing her attention. "Is everything okay?" I asked from the foot of the stairs.

"Ava." She breathed out in relief as she turned to look at me. "It's nothing. Just an annoying bug." She replied, not taking her eyes off the person on the other-side.

I chose not to comment and gestured to the tub in my hand. "Wanna join us for girls' night?" I asked.

"I'll join you guys in a bit." Jenna replied with a smile. I smiled back went up the stairs with the tub of ice cream out of my hands to Elena's room. But I stopped at the landing and stared down the stairs at the door.

My gaze lingered on the doorway for a few seconds before I shivered again. It was probably the weather. Winter was getting closer. Maybe I should start wearing warmer clothes, I thought as I walked down the hallways, leaving my worries at the foyer.


	11. Tongue In The Bag

Chapter 10: Tongue In The Bag

* * *

I sprinted down an old trail behind the Fitzroy estate, panting loudly, trying to catch my breath. Come on, a little bit faster. I kicked up my legs and picked up my pace, jumping over roots and rocks in my way to move forwards. I gasped with each step. My lungs were burning as I tried hard to breathe. I had been doing this for almost two hours now. I kicked up my leg again and picked up my pace again.

"You're slacking off." Uncle Nate called out, bored from somewhere in the woods behind the thick foliage.

"Am not." I huffed loudly, kicking up my leg and pushing myself to the finish line. I crossed the line and crashed onto the dirt floor, facing up at the early morning sky. "I did it." I panted out. My lips dry, sweat dripping from my forehead as my chest rose and fell. My heart hammered against my chest as I clutched it, trying to catch my breath. "Am I done? Please tell me I'm done." I begged uncle Nate, trying to get up from the floor.

Leaves rustled and twigs snapped in response. "Mm-hmm. Yeah, you're done." He came out from behind a set of trees and passed me a pink water bottle.

I picked myself off the ground and took the water bottle, opening and draining the bottle in one go. "I hate you." I stated between gulps. "How could you do that to me? I thought we were gonna train?"

"And we did. Build up cardio and stamina first then we do strength before moving on to the fun stuff. Well that was fun too."

I stared at him incredulously. "That was torture!"

"Pfft. That was nothing. Blame yourself for deciding to go all Buffy and not staying out of supernatural business." He turned around and started walking back to the house.

I groaned and capped the lid of the bottle before following him back home. "Well…I couldn't just sit still knowing Damon was gonna rip Bonnie apart." I unzipped my jacket a little and fanned myself. It was December but the heat from my workout made it unbearably hot for me.

"You could've just told Bonnie the truth and gave that Steven-"

"Stefan."

"Yeah, him. A head's up to the whole situation before it happened. At least he and his brother are leaving now." He paused and turned around to glance at me. "They are leaving right?"

I halted in my tracks. "I've been told they are. Stefan seemed pretty adamant even though Elena begged him to stay."

He turned away from me and stomped through the trail, skillfully avoiding any obstacles in his path. "One less problem for us. Still can't believe your dad is now not trusting the Council."

I panted, almost tripping over a tree root, only to catch myself before I hit the ground. I grabbed the nearest tree for support and pushed myself up straight. "...He already had trust issues with the Council. What else is new?"

"Huh. He did trust them enough to want to turn the Salvatore brothers in..." He stopped to jump over a boulder. "But that was before."

"Before?" I mimicked him except I lept on to the boulder and hopped down from it.

"Before the Council was stupid enough to lose the Gilbert compass. Y'know the one that detects vampires. Was one of the reasons why they left us alone for a while."

I stared at the mossy ground. My eyes unfocused around as my mind wandered. "How did they lose it?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"That's the thing. They refuse to tell us. Liz started telling me around Halloween meetings but Mayor Lockwood aka Mayor Dick decided to change the subject and keep us in the dark." His voice, getting distant now.

I picked up my pace and followed him faster. But it was hard. My limbs were starting to ache and it hurt to move. "So that's why dad's pissed at them?"

Twigs snapped. Branches swayed in the wind lightly as uncle Nate came into view. He stood, leaning in front of the small picket fence gate, separating the Fitzroy estate from the trails. "That's not the only reason. He's pissed because the council was stupid enough to invite a vampire to join them." He unhooked the latch on the gate and opened it.

I followed him past the gate, making sure to put the latch book, pushing it gently to check if it was locked. "They invited a vampire to join them." I said to myself in disbelief. "I'm speechless." I mumbled.

Uncle Nate laughed. "That's not even the funny part." He replied, walking through the perfectly manicured gardens.

"I don't know how you're finding this funny. It's tragic."

"No. It's hilarious. Especially the part where you find out who they invited."

"Who did they invite?"

"I was waiting for you to ask that." He gleefully remarked, pushing the door to the living room. I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes. I didn't have time for this. I had school in an hour or two. "Damon Salvatore." He finally revealed with a grin, walking into the leaving room. "But it doesn't matter now cause he's leaving. It's still funny if you-"

"Damon! They invited Damon to join the Council. Do they all have worms for brains or something? I know they hate us but to invite Damon is…"

"You sound like your mom. She said the exact same thing." He commented, picking up the remote of the TV and turning it on. "Anyways, go get ready for school. He's leaving anyway. No need to give yourself a headache over him."

I propped the empty pink water bottle on the coffee table and marched upstairs. If Damon wasn't already leaving, I would personally drive him out of town. No wonder he was so god damn smug about me threatening him with the council. He joined them. He was resourceful, a part of me was impressed. I squashed that part and stepped into the shower, leaving my worries behind. Today was a new day. Things were going to be different. I'm going to finally enjoy a vampire-free day in Mystic Falls, I thought with a giddy smile.

* * *

I waltzed out of my room with a smile on my face as I fixed my sweater dress. A normal school day. God I missed these. It was weird but as the more time I spent in this little town, the more rare normal was becoming for me. Maybe with the departures of Salvatore brothers things would go back to normal.

With a satisfied smile, I prepared to march down the stairs when I stopped. In front of me was an old antique dressing table. It looked familiar. I had seen this before but where. I racked my brain for where I had seen this dressing table when a flash of realization hit me. It was Lydia Fitzroy's dressing table. I remembered it now. But what was it doing out here in the hallways outside my room. Last I remembered it was supposed to be in the old master bedroom on the second floor east wing.

Curiously, I took a step forward and let my hands over the now clean surface of the dressing table. I admit, it looked better than I remembered. A bright light from the mirror shined into my eyes, making me turn my head away from the dressing table and clutch my necklace in reflex.

_"Miss Katherine?"_

_Bright green eyes greeted mine as I stared at the mirror in front of me. I brought a hand to my fair face and gently caressed it in confusion. This wasn't me. This was-_

_"Yes, Miss Lydia. It was Miss Katherine." A maid replied from behind me. My head dropped at that and I stared at the_

_I breathed out. I was Lydia once again just like that day when I found the bloodstone. I picked up my head and stared at the young woman in front of me. I let go of my cheek and turned my attention to a set of lace gloves in front of me. Carefully, I picked one of the delicate gloves and slipped them on and followed suit with the other. Giving myself a quick glance over, I gently pulled my hair over my shoulders._

_Nodding, my hand reached out to the maid whose name I had forgotten. Without hesitation she slipped an envelope into my gloves hand. It was light but for some reason it felt heavy in Lydia's delicate hands. With a dread in my or Lydias heart, I brought the envelope in front of me and laid it on the dressing table. Mindlessly I rubbed the expensive paper with my hand tracing the seal of the letter._

_The maid left and told me she would be outside, should I need her. I was alone now, only with my thoughts to keep me company. Sighing, I broke the crimson wax seal and opened the letter. There was no point in avoiding this. My eyes scanned the letter but really processed it. Huh. She was mocking me. I thought or Lydia_ _thought. I read the letter again. My eyes went over each of the letters one by one, the curves and lines as if I was memorizing it._

_I took my eyes off the paper and in humiliation I scrunched it up. That bitch. She was playing me. How dare she? I was a Fitzroy and she was a no-name orphan who had come along and decided to make a fool out of both Salvatore brothers'._

_I clenched my fists and slammed my hands into the dressing table in front of me. "Heh." A bored and bitter laugh escaped me as I stared at the dressing table. My hands relaxed and I pulled back. I was getting too heated and for what. A man who would never love me. Damon Salvatore? "Winnie." I called out to my loyal maid as I bunched my sky blue skirt and carefully got out of my seat. "Winnie." I called out again. I had made my decision, I wasn't going to fight for Damon. There was no point, he was never mine. It was a transactional engagement. I would be stuck in a loveless marriage. A marriage that I never wanted. A marriage decided upon my birth which was more of a curse than anything._

_Winnie rushed into the room. She halted to stand still behind me as I turned to face her while she smoothed out her skirt. "Yes, Miss."_

_I handed her the invitation without a word. "Prepare for a carriage." She accepted it, confused._

_"A carriage?"_

_"A carriage." I said, turning away from her to pick up the necklace that father had always insisted I wore. An odd present since it wasn't as pretty as the other jewels father had given me but it was a family heirloom nonetheless._

_Winnie didn't move an inch but stared at me. "Winifred." I warned her with a cold look. She swallowed heavily as she inched closer to me._

" _Forgive me, Ma'am but your father insisted that you should never be allowed to be alone with Miss Katherine. She isn't wor-"_

" _Exactly why I will be attending this 'tea party' of hers." I took the invite back and waved it in front of her face. "I shall put an end to this mindless rivalry she seems to have with me." I placed the invite back onto her stretched out palms and turned away from her to powder my face. "She can have the Salvatore brothers. I want no part in this shameless game she's playing. I have my own pride."_

_Winnie nodded fervently. "You're right. Putting up a fight with that...woman...will only damage your reputation."_

_I put down my powder puff and walked over to Winnie. "Exactly. It's best I draw the boundaries now, else I will find myself caught up in this silly game."_

_The colors around me swirled and I was not in old Fitzroy manor anymore. I was outside. The sun was shining brightly as birds chirped. I walked carefully with calculated steps to the garden where the tea party was supposed to be held, Winnie beside me. She clutched a frilly pastel purple sun umbrella under my head as she walked._

_I paused in the middle of the path as a chill went down my back. I pulled the light shawl tight around me before continuing down the path of the Salvatore garden. I knew these gardens well, too well perhaps. After-all I had played in them with the Salvatore brothers many times. Heh. I laughed bitterly. That time was long past. We had grown up and changed. The past was in the past. We could never go back._

_I reached a set of white ornate garden tables and chairs and stood by it. A woman sat alone, calmly drinking from a china cup. "You came." Her low seductive voice stated as she slowly picked her head from the cup._

_I paused. This woman looked familiar. Not to Lydia but to me. Elena? "Miss Pierce." Or not. Lydia greeted her tensely as Winnie pulled out a chair for her. Carefully, she took a seat across from the Elena-lookalike. "Forgive me for being so late. I mean no disrespect but I was not expecting an invite from you."_

" _You're forgiven, Miss Fitzroy. And please call me Katherine. It was my fault for sending the invite out so late but you see I've just been too busy settling into this humble town." She laughed innocently. "Oh. But the Salvatores, well, mainly the Salvatore brothers have been very helpful." She flashed an inviting yet chilling smile. I shivered involuntarily. "Your fiance especially has been quite...hands on with helping me settle."_

_Winnie leaned forward to retort. I stopped her without hesitation. I placed my hand on hers to placate her. "Really now?" I asked innocently. Katherine who really freakishly looked like Elena nodded. "Well, I'm glad. And I think you meant former fiance." I clasped my hands together. "Mr Damon Salvatore and I are no longer betrothed to each other." I confessed. A weight lifted off my shoulders. I felt lighter. Like there was no string holding me or weights pushing me down. I was free._

" _Oh." Katherine's cat-like eyes widened for a second. Her eyes, they were so different from Elena's. Elena's brown orbs reminded me off a doe while Katherine's was that of a tiger's. "What a shame. You must be disappointed."_

" _It would be strange if I was."_

_Her head snapped to look at me. "How so?" She asked quietly._

_I picked up the steaming hot cup of tea, Winnie had poured me. "Because I'm the one who called it off." I revealed, taking a sip of the warm tea._

" _You called off your own engagement? Why? Is it because of me? I'm so sorry. I know the rumors have been vicious but to push you this far."_

_I laughed. "You can stop, Miss Pierce."_

" _-Katherine."_

" _ **Miss Pierce**_ _." I repeated and picked off where I left off. "I broke off my engagement because I had no wish to get involved with whatever game you seem to be playing with the brothers. I will not be caught up in it nor will I be a victim to it." I finished, carefully laying down the cup and getting up from my seat._

_I turned to stare at Katherine with confidence. Her face was that off a cold fury. She was angry and it was somewhat unnerving to see that ugly expression on a face I knew too well. But before Katherine could reply. A set of loud voices interrupted us. "Miss Katherine." "Miss Katherine. We're back." The two Salvatore brothers yelled out as they ran to where Katherine and I were. They halted when they noticed me._

" _Miss Fitzroy."_

"Miss Fitzroy."

"Yes." I replied mindlessly, stepping back from the mirror and letting go of the necklace in my hand. I was back at home. In front of me, the old dressing table.

I blinked twice and glanced around me. Two servants stood side by side the antique dressing table while Maria stood in front of me. She looked concerned. "Are you okay?" She asked as she leaned over me.

"I'm fine." I answered with a smile. I ran my fingers through my hair and breathed out. "What's this doing here?" I gestured to the furniture in front of me.

"We're cleaning the second floor east wing, so we're putting this in the storage until that's done." One of the servants replied as he and his companion picked up the table and carried it away from me.

I watched them along with Maria disappear down the hall as I rubbed my arms. Katherine. Her again. This wasn't the first time I saw Lydia's memories but the thought of Katherine and Elena looking alike scared me. Was it real or was it all in my head? I didn't know.

* * *

"Did I miss something?" Elena asked, staring at a blonde couple from a distance.

Bonnie and I walked beside her and turned our heads to look at Matt and Caroline. "They've been hanging out." Bonnie replied.

Elena nodded but still looked confused. "Kinda weird." I glanced at Elena. I shivered as Katherine's spiteful face flashed into my mind. It wasn't real. I tried to convince myself as I blinked nervously. This was Elena. Sweet and kind Elena who would never hurt anyone not that woman from Lydia's memories.

Brushing those thoughts aside, I focused back on Matt and Caroline. I grinned. "Not really." She turned to look at me to elaborate. "Stefan's birthday party, Caroline got wasted and Matt being the nice guy-" I made gestures with my hand making air-quotes. "-took her home and made sure she was safe. They even cuddled." I said with a satisfied smile as I continued walking

"Still weird."

"But it's adorable, she needs someone nice like him, as opposed to a homicidal vampire like Damon." Bonnie commented.

"And Matt's been through a lot as well."

"Exactly. It balances out."

Elena breathed out loudly and shook her head. "I give up." She pursed her lips and turned to Bonnie. "Anyways, how are you doing with all that?"

Bonnie turned away from us. "I'm freaked out. Damon attacked me. I could be dead right but I'm not thanks to Ava going all Buffy on us-"

"-I'm not Buffy." I cut in, shaking my head at that thought.

"Yet." Bonnie pointed out. "And I'm grateful. To Stefan. He also saved my life."

"Told you he's the good one."

Elena smiled sadly but chose not to say anything. "Speaking of Stefan. Have you seen him?" Bonnie asked her. I broke off from the group and walked over to my locker. I swung it open, placing some of my books inside and taking some out. I closed it and walked back to the pair.

Leaning against the lockers next to Elena's. I watched as Elena threw her scarf and bag inside hers. "-leaving. For...he's already gone." Elena ranted while I zoned out of the conversation. Now and then, I would focus before staring up at the ceiling.

"-leave without...goodbye. "

"—He thinks he's protecting me. Clean break and all that."

I zoned back in and glanced at my two friends. "He does have a point." I pointed out, folding my arms and checking my freshly manicured nails. Katherine flashed into my mind. The thought of Elena being Katherine's lookalike made her relationship even weirder. Stefan was doing everyone a favor by ending it before it became worse.

I turned to glance at Elena who gave me an exasperated look. Bonnie glanced between us both. "He does…" She agreed sheepishly before glancing at Elena. "But what are you gonna do about it?"

Elena shrugged and took out some books from her locker and closed it. "What am I supposed to do? I've already begged him not to go. If I ask again, I'm being selfish. It is what it is."

"As much as I am 'Team Stefan', this is for the best." I put my hands down and got off the lockers and started walking down the hallways. Elena and Bonnie trailing behind me.

"Maybe it is." Bonnie agreed.

Elena scoffed. "What? Why?"

We stopped and stared at each other. Bonnie and I gave each other a look. We understood exactly why this relationship was doomed. Elena on the other hand didn't. "One, he's a freaking…" I stepped closer to my friends and lowered the volume of my voice. "...vampire. you never know what he may do. He could lose control. No matter how good he is now. And two..." I swallowed. "Did you forget the whole Katherine thing. You don't even know who she really was."

"Katherine doesn't matter." Elena bit back.

Bonnie nodded. "I don't know, Elena. Ava has a point. Also what kind of future would you two have had, even if he stayed."

Elena clenched her jaws, annoyed that both me and Bonnie were against this. I wasn't sorry at all. It was selfish but the sooner Stefan left, the sooner Damon would follow. The sooner all of this would be over and we'd be back to normal in no time. Before Elena could retort, a banner fell down on top of Elena.

'Promise of the Future' It read.

I couldn't help but laugh while Elena scoffed as Bonnie looked on with wide eyes. It felt nice to have the universe be on your side. Elena picked the banner and showed it to Bonnie and me. "Did you just…"

"No, I swear." Bonnie defended herself.

In response, Elena shoved the banner out of her way and stormed away from us. Bonnie looked at me, tiredly before she went after Elena. I decided not to follow them instead my eyes lingered to the banner as I fidgeted with the strap of my bag while making my way to the student council room for a meeting.

* * *

At least I was supposed to be, making sure the careers fair preparations for tonight went off without a hitch. Instead I stood outside an abandoned red-brick building with dead trees outside.

I stared at it with a well-kept antique compass in my hand. The Gilbert compass to be more precise which was supposed to be lost. A cold chill passed through me as I shivered through my sweater and pulled at the maroon sleeve. Not shivering because of the early winter cold but because there was a vampire nearby.

My dark hair gently blew in the light December air as I slowly walked towards the building. Though, it was daylight, it was still creepy. Dead leaves littered the entrance of the building. Stepping over them, they made a loud crunching sound. I winced as it did so. I looked down at the compass in my hands.

The compass pointed towards the building. Nervously, I took a step forward. The chill grew. "This is the place." I called out, putting the compass down.

Damon flashed in front of me, making me jump back a bit. "You sure?" He asked, tilting his head and taking back the compass. "Maybe I interfered with the signal."

"Unless, you went inside that dump." I pointed towards the abandoned building. "Then no. You didn't. I had the compass which worked fine and if that failed I have me." I finished, folding my arms around me.

"Point taken." He turned away from me to survey the red brick building in front of us.

I clenched my jaws. "Remind me again. What am I doing here?"

"Well I needed someone who wouldn't interfere with the compass. Can't use it myself. You see."

"Cause you're a vampire." I answered bored, looking at the clear blue sky. God, it was such a nice day. And then I looked down in front of me, stood Damon fidgeting with the compass. So much for a vampire free day.

"Exactly. It was either you or Caroline. And since you're big on protecting your friends, I picked you. Bonus that you're already a human vampire tracker...somewhat human." He turned on his feet and grinned. "Another bonus, I needed a partner in crime and you seem like the perfect person. Plus we're friends."

"Yeah...No." I sighed. "And this new vampire…" I carefully took a step forward. "You sure you didn't turn them?"

"Nope." He walked over to the entrance, putting the compass into his pocket.

Pursing my lips, I carefully followed him up the rusty steps of the red brick. "And I should just trust you because…" I asked quietly. His hands gripping the door handle.

"Because I wouldn't be hunting them down if I did." He answered, turning the handle and walking in. He had a point. I cursed Damon for making so much sense. He disappeared inside the building before I could say anything more.

I blew out a breath and ran my hands through my braid. "I'm going back." I called out to no one in particular. No response. "I'm going then…" I tried again, craning my head and turning around to get to my car. The only thing that responded was the echoing of the wind and rustling branches. Well, whatever happens now is on him, nothing to do with me. I thought as I speed-walked to my car, flipping my hair behind me, I unlocked the car.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

In an instant, I jumped and I dropped to my knees in front of the door of the driver's seat. Gunshots echoed throughout the abandoned parking lot. Slowly, I crawled on my knees to the front of my car and craned my head to look at the abandoned building. The door was shut but the sound still echoed. I bit my lip and debated whether or not to go in and check what was going on. But at the same time, my mind screamed at me to go back and ignore this. The intelligent part of me won while my curiosity dimmed as I realized I would once again be putting myself at risk. Unlike Bonnie, Damon was not worth putting myself at risk for. I mean I would probably risk myself to help Stefan but Damon, that was being too kind. Besides Damon himself was a vampire hunting another vampire, he would be fine.

Craning my head to glance at the entrance of the building, I checked to make sure I was alone. I stared at the sky, it was still day. I sucked in a breath and got up, dusting myself off of any dirt and dust before getting in the car. There was only a few hours left till the sun went down. I only hoped Damon was smart enough to actually take down the vampire before sundown. That is if the vampire could not walk in the sun like Damon and Stefan. All I knew of their sun-walking abilities was from Zach. Daylight amulets.

Not thinking too much of it, I drove out of the distant parking lot of the red-brick abandoned building and headed back to school. I took out my phone and flipped it open, sending a message to Damon for any updates before texting the student council members about the careers fair. I groaned. The vampire would be the least of my worries tonight.

* * *

The school was bustling with activity as parents and students poured in after-sundown to check out the careers fair. Luckily, I had come back just in time to do a quick meeting and help out the photography and art club with their booth. I felt good. I stood back in the middle of the hallway with a grin on my face as I slowly closed my phone. A few freshmen students dragged their parents to the different booths beside me while seniors and juniors just casually strolled along the hallways. I dodged them all and weaved through them to get to the art booth.

Mrs Saunders along with a few other people stood by and conversed with students. Nodding at her with a smile, I walked towards one of the canvased artworks displayed on the wall. It was the mischievous yet dream-like fairy that I painted at re-do for class. I let out a small but proud smile staring at it. I did that and it was good enough to be displayed.

"Yours?" A quiet but rough voice asked.

I turned my head to the sound of the voice. Tyler Lockwood. My smile died as I pursed my lips and looked at him bored. It wasn't like I despised him but he was a questionable person. For one, he was a Lockwood. As far as I could remember, the Lockwoods never got along with my family. I wasn't the type to pay attention to family grudges but some are justified. Mayor Lockwood and his wife were not kind people. Then again, I had yet to actually talk to Tyler one on one since I came back so who knows.

Tyler breathed out loudly interrupting my train of thought. "I meant the painting." He gestured to my work as he stood leaning over an open portfolio of sketches done by various students. I nodded with a polite smile. I craned my head to look at what he was standing over.

I let out an impressed sound as I stared at the sketch. It was a semi-realistic sketch of a man. "Did you do that?" I asked, coming over to stand next to him and pushing my stray hair out of my face. I was actually impressed. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the sketch. Sure enough, it was signed, 'Tyler Lockwood'. "Wow, this is really good." I gushed with an impressed smile.

He stumbled backwards a little before standing up straight. "You...you think so?" He asked, unsure.

I paused, flicking through the pages to get a look at more sketches and turned to look at me with a deadpan expression. "Um. I know so." I flicked back through the sketches and stopped on his sketch. "Like the details and expression. It's so good." I carried on with a look of awe. Tyler had talent but not confidence.

"Thanks. It means a lot, coming from you." He stepped forward and flipped it back to a random page. "But I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself." He requested, facing me.

I tilted my head. "First of all, I'm not an expert on art but thanks I guess." I stared behind him at the museum curator who had come to the careers fair. "And second of all, why? You're clearly talented. Also why have you not joined the art club. You'd fit right in."

Tyler huffed and folded his arms. "No, you're not an expert but you're probably the only one who knows art—"

"—Private art teachers." I cut in, staring at my nails.

"Seriously?" He asked in awe.

I nodded with an innocent expression. "And talent. According to my mother, I had an innate talent for art. So my dad got private art tutors for me and Dan."

"Supportive parents. Must be nice." He muttered under his breath, too quiet for anyone to hear but unfortunately for him, I heard it anyway. I chose not to comment. "Anyways, I don't wanna join the stupid art club. It's full of hippies." Clenching his jaws, he turned away from me. "I don't have time for that. Football is my main focus."

And the puzzles fit in place. My eyes widened as I realized what exactly was going on with his family. But before I could say anything else, Jeremy interrupted us. "Surprised to see you here." He called out from the other side of Tyler. "Harassing Ava?"

I rolled my eyes. "Jeremy. Be nice." I warned, walking back to have one last look at my painting before making my way back to the rest of the student council members in the atrium. I stood there for a few seconds before picking up my camera and taking a picture of the artwork. Click.

Jeremy grinned. "I'm just saying, art implies culture..." I put down the camera and turned to glance at the two boys. He walked closer to Tyler to stand over the portfolio and flick through it's contents. Tyler clenched his jaws and let go of the file. "And culture implies...well..." He paused to glance at Tyler. "...not you." He finished with a grin.

Tyler glared at him before walking off and disappearing down the halls. "Wow, way to be the bigger person, Jer." I commented, walking off. "He was just checking out his work." I added while Jeremy flicked through the file. I didn't stick around to find out Jeremy's reaction.

* * *

Elena aimlessly walked through the exhibits as she made her way to me. I caught her eyes by accident while I talked to Will about the upcoming Christmas events. I stood near the center of the gym with the members of the student council all gathered around me. It was getting darker but the school was still packed. More and more students along with their parents poured into the school as the night carried on.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Elena hesitating. She walked towards me but backed off a little, circling around the school council members before plucking up the courage to come and face me. I smiled before shifting my focus back onto the council.

"Hey." Elena called out awkwardly.

I glanced at her with a smile and quietly excused myself from the council members. "Hey." I greeted back as I led her to a quiet and less busy part of the gym. "How's it going?"

"I wanted to apologize." She began clasping her hands. "For earlier. I was being a total brat. I should've heard you out instead of storming out."

"Yeah. You should've."

"But you brought up Katherine. Stefan and I did talk about her—"

"—Really?" I cut her off folding my arms and looking around for any vampires, mainly Stefan or Damon. They were none. I glanced back at Elena who looked taken aback and confused. "I mean how much do you really know 'bout this 'Katherine', Ellie?"

She scoffed. "I know what you mean but I know Stefan and Damon both loved her. She was manipulative, played both of them. Made them believe she was in love with them, turned them against each other. I know." She placed her hands on my shoulders. "I get it, you and Bonnie are looking out for me. I appreciate it but Stefan is a great guy, he wouldn't hurt me."

I poked my cheeks. "Yeah, funny story." I muttered under my breath as Katherine's face flashed on my mind. I picked up my head and glanced at Elena. Her face overlapped with Katherine's and I gasped, taking a step back. I swallowed heavily and blew out a breath. I was at a crossroads. On one hand, I could keep this to myself. On the other hand, I could tell her what I saw. But I didn't even believe what I saw was real.

"Ava." Elena called out, taking a step forward. "Is everything okay?" She held out her hand and leaned over me.

I pursed my lips and sighed. "No. Everything is not fine." I confessed, walking over to a dark and lonely corner of the gym. Elena followed me without hesitating. "You're not gonna believe me even if I tell you. So it doesn't matter."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." She stopped and crossed her arms. "Wait. Stop. Did Damon put something in your-"

"Don't even. Do I look that gullible?" I looked at her, offended. Like I was not that stupid. I had moments of stupidity, that was me on my bad days. "Why would you even think I would believe him for a moment?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just really defensive when it comes to Stefan. He trusted me about his past, about Katherine. So what else should I be worried about?"

"Maybe how she looks?" I blurted out. I clamped my mouth shut with my hands. I so did not mean to blurt that out. I cursed myself for losing my patience so quickly. "Y'know what, forget it. I'm just a little jumpy cause of..." I trailed off, staring into the distance as I remembered how eerily similar Katherine looked to Elena. From her deep brown eyes to her heart shaped face. It was exactly the same.

I tried to walk off and go back to the student council or go elsewhere. Just anywhere away from Elena. But I didn't get far as she grabbed my arms and carefully dragged me back to the dark corner. "No. Wait." She let go and stared at me, confused and concerned. "Why would I be worried by how 'Katherine' looks?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her.

I bit my lips. "You wouldn't believe me. It's pretty weird and freaky." I tried to escape once again, only to be stopped by her.

"At this point, I'll believe anything weird and freaky." She breathed out.

"Look." I paused, trying to gather my thoughts. "I'm not sure about this myself. I don't even believe this right now."

"Ava. Come on, Stefan's a good guy. You said so yourself."

"Never said he wasn't. I would totally root for you two if..."

"If what?"

I stared at the ceiling and blew out a breath. I'm sure she could handle this. "Remember when we were kids, I would get these weird dreams-"

"Like Bonnie where you predicted the future. Oh my god!" She gasped. "How did I forget about that?"

"Probably 'cause my parents were professional liars and said I was a very observant kid." I loosened my braid and let my hair cascade down my shoulders. "Not exactly a lie but still."

"But it wasn't true." She stepped back and turned her gaze away from me. "I don't get it, what does this have to do with Katherine."

"I saw her." I confessed and shut my eyes.

Silence greeted me. Carefully, I opened my eyes. Elena stood there shocked. "You saw Katherine? Right. She's a vampire and...she's here."

"I didn't see her 'see her'." I sucked in a breath as I gestured to my necklace and held it up. "This belonged to one of my ancestors, Lydia Fitzroy. When I first got this—found it actually. I saw her memories when I touched her stuff."

"You saw her memories?"

"Actually. I was 'her' through the 'Founder's Ball' where she met Katherine and today I was her again, at a tea party with none other than Katherine."

Elena made a strangled choking noise. "You saw Katherine!" She gasped as she pushed her hair back. "What did she look like?" She stared at me with wide eyes.

"That's the thing..."

"You didn't get a good look at her."

"Oh I got more than a good look. I—well Lydia, sat across from her at the tea party and was threatened by her at the ball."

"Then what did she look like—"

"—you."

She tilted her head as her right hand grabbed her left arm in confusion. "Me?" She asked tiredly.

I poked my cheeks and pursed my lips, shutting my eyes. Katherine's vampiric face flashed across my mind. When I opened my eyes, she stood before me. I jumped back, read to run but I didn't. Katherine was not in front of me. It was Elena who looked lost and confused. Elena who was kind and sweet. Elena who I had grown up with and always competed with over everything. This wasn't Katherine. Calming myself, I picked my head up and stared directly at Elena. "She looked like you." I quietly confessed.

"What?" She questioned out-loud. "That's not possible. Stefan would have told me."

"I have no doubt he would have."

For a moment, she didn't say anything before bursting into a smile. "It must be hard coping with all of this on top of vampires and witches." She gestured to the student council. "Look, I get you're worried but you said this yourself, you're not even sure 'bout if what you saw was real."

"You're doubting me." I commented with a sigh. I knew she had a point but I also had a point. It was better to be safe than sorry and I didn't regret telling her my suspicions. It would make sense that Katherine looked like Elena or the other way around since the Salvatore brothers were way too enamored by her and they had only known her for what? A few months. Damon's constant references to Katherine around Elena also made sense but I didn't know if it was real, Lydia's memories. I knew I could see the future but this was new to me.

I glanced around my shoulders and shrugged, walking off. Elena followed after me. "I'm not doubting, I'm just...keeping an open mind."

I paused and turned around. "An open mind to how freakishly you may look like Stefan and Damon's evil ex which makes this ten times more weirder." I huffed and dropped my voice.

"You said 'may', it's a possibility. So it can go the either way." She replied looking hopeful. I opened my mouth to retort back saying it could either way but Elena beat me to it. "I know what you're gonna say—" She turned away and started walking towards one of the career stands and picked up a pamphlet. "—it can go the other way." I nodded at her words. "But. I'm deciding to trust Stefan...because he makes me happy. Even if he is leaving." She added with a bitter smile and handed me the pamphlet.

For a moment, I didn't say anything and just followed her with my hands folded. Elena stared at me with a hopeful look. "Fine." I let go of my arms and walked over to the student council. "I'll drop it." She beamed brightly and started to walk away. "But." I stopped her in her tracks. "Only 'cause I'm doubting myself over what I saw. I'm still not ruling this 'ex' situation out."

"I didn't expect you to." She glanced around. "You were always big on facts and the truth. Speaking of which, still wanna be a journalist." She gestured to a broadcast journalism stand from the local new station.

I snorted. "That's broadcast journalism. Two different things."

"What's the difference?"

"Broadcast journalism is where narcissists whose only talent is being charming and pretty go, since it's just reading what you are given to the masses i.e Logan Fell. Besides after seeing him, I think I changed my mind."

"So what do you wanna be now?"

"Tough question. I'm confused between a therapist, an attorney like my dad or an artist. Or I could go the engineer route like my brother." I glanced at her. "What 'bout you? Still wanna be a writer."

She looked down and sighed. "I don't know. Writing was something—"

"You and your mom did. Sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"No. It's fine. I can't be the sad girl forever."

"You're not the 'sad girl', you're mourning and you're allowed so stop forcing yourself to be happy when you're not."

Elena smiled. "Thanks. I forget that high school isn't forever but I keep...getting caught up in this whole 'what are people gonna say?' but I know you're right." She sighed and walked off, leaving me standing in front of the broadcast journalism stand.

I stared at the stand in front of me. Broadcast journalism. I laughed quietly. I was not a 'Logan Fell' type who craved attention. But the idea of becoming one was interesting. I picked up a pamphlet and opened it, only to let it fall as a strange paralysing sensation took over me. I froze, watching the paper fall to the floor.

Before it could hit the ground, someone caught it. That someone picked it up and it was gone from my sight. I followed the last sightings of the paper to a man who stood in front of me, blocking my path. My breath caught in my throat and I almost gagged at the thought of the man in front of me being a vampire.

"You dropped this." Logan Fell passed me the pamphlet with a grin. With a nervous smile, I carefully accepted it, being careful not to touch him. "Ava Fitzroy." He greeted me, looking at me, almost sizing me up. It made my skin crawl the way he stared at me. "Haven't seen you or anyone in your family in a while." He looked around and stepped closer to me. "It's almost like you guys are avoiding something."

I pushed my hair back and away from my face as I nervously laughed. "You're funny." I commented awkwardly. "But we're all just busy with stuff. Speaking of being busy..." I turned around to look for the members of the student council but they were not there. I puffed up my cheeks and blew out some air. Great, now I needed to make up some half-assed excuse. "Y'know, I have to go. Student council and all that."

"You know what I am."

My eyes widened and my head snapped to stare at him. I took a few steps back and looked around for anyone else around me. "Excuse me?" I asked tilting my head and acting like I had no idea what he was talking about.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb. I'm one of the founders. I know what you and your family are capable of."

I blinked. "What 'we're capable of'? Wha...What do you mean?" I bit my lips and stared at him in feigned confusion.

"Gotta hand it to your acting skills—" I blinked again and looked at him with my best confused and disgusted look. "You're not pretending."

"Well I am pretending—" I muttered under my breath.

"So you are."

"—That you are actually someone I want to talk to and waste my time on." I finished with a sarcastic smile.

Before Logan could reply, my phone rang out with it's annoying ringtone which I really needed to change. I smiled awkwardly and took out my phone. I stopped and poked my cheeks. The name kept flashing on the screen. I held it away from Logan's eyes, even so if he did see it. He wouldn't be able to tell—

"Leech?" Logan asked curious as he leaned over my phone.

I stared at the ceiling and stared back at him, cutting off Damon's call. "It's an old classmate from my last school." I lied and looked around for someone else. "I should go and take this." I gestured to my phone. Logan nodded understandingly.

"Wait." He grabbed my arms, stopping me. I resisted the urge to shiver. He was making my skin crawl just by his presence. "Has your uncle said anything about me or..."

"Uncle Nate?" I asked. He nodded, his stare was intense and predatory, sharply contrasting the friendly smile on his face. _Yes._ "No. Not that I know off. Then again, he's been pretty busy with his thesis and classes."

He let go and said nothing, staring off into the distance. I followed his gaze to uncle Nate who stood at a distance talking to none other than Jenna. Seeing him distracted, I quickly walked away before he could focus on me again and rushed into an empty classroom, making sure to lock the door behind me. The minute, the door behind me was locked, I pushed through the empty desks and chairs to sit on a desk in the middle of the room. This way it'd be a little harder for Logan to overhear me. I didn't want to go outside where I'd easily be vampire bait but this would be the next best thing.

I flipped my phone open and held it to my ear. It rang only once before the person on the side picked it up. Before I could get a word in, I heard a groan. I sighed. "So Logan Fell, huh?" I asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Are you a part-time psychic too?" Damon panted and groaned in pain on the other side of the phone.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have to be a psychic to realize you failed."

"You heard me get shot and you walk—"

"—I heard gunshots but that was it. I didn't stick around long enough to find out what happened." I cut him before he could accuse me of anything else.

"Yeah, well—" He groaned. "—He got the upper hand and shot me with wooden bullets. He was prepared."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "That's great." I paused for a moment and glanced at the window to check if anyone was outside. "...How did he die?"

There was a moment of silence on the other side for a while before there were sounds of wind rustling. "...Yeah about that. You can thank me for that and Vicki for finishing the job."

I sucked in a breath and let go. It still hurt thinking about Vicki. "Vicki killed Logan." I said out aloud, trying to make sense of what was happening. "And you or Stefan gave him vampire blood to heal him and now he's a vampire. Great."

"Actually. Stefan and I didn't give that scum a drop of our blood."

"What?" I stared hard at the desk in front of me and fiddled with a strand of my hair. "Well...if you and Stefan didn't...then who did?"

Another moment of silence passed. "That's the thing we have to find out."

"There is no 'we', Damon." I retorted, kicking myself off the desk I was leaning against. "I'm turning Logan into the council."

"Even if you blow your cover of the whole 'preppy student council' that everyone loves and hates that has no idea of the supernatural."

I rolled my eyes. "Who said I was gonna blow my cover?" I smirked. "You should get rid of the bullets before you get here."

"Here, being 'the high school'?"

"Where else would he be? Almost the whole town's here." I paused when I heard something outside. "I'm hanging up. This is your mess, clean it up before more bodies pile up."

"How is this—" I hung up before he could finish and took out a compact mirror. I quickly checked myself in the mirror before sending an SOS message to my uncle about Logan before carefully making my way out of the classroom and into the hallway.

* * *

"Uncle Nate." I called out as he stood next to Sheriff Forbes who was weirdly enough still in her uniform. This was good, I guess. It meant the council was aware of Logan or so I hoped. Uncle Nate turned to glance at me with a bored smile while Liz gave me a nod. She didn't walk away, instead she stood there. "Hey, um. Logan was asking about you. Did you guys have a falling out or something over...y'know."

Uncle Nate opened his mouth but before he could utter a single word, Liz beat him to it. "Logan? As in Logan Fell." Sheriff Forbes asked with a slight panic in her eyes. "He's here?!"

I nodded, still pretending to not know anything. "Yeah, he looked so out of it. Maybe he was drunk or something." I shrugged while giving a knowing look to my uncle. Luckily he picked up what I meant and quickly left to go find Jenna. I watched him leave and then turned my attention back to the Sheriff. "Well, that was something. I should go." I gestured to the hallway behind me and walked off.

* * *

I walked through the hallways with a clip board in hand and Dana along with Will next to me as we walked side-by-side, checking everything. It's not like we had much to do but really we were pretending to be somewhat helpful. Being a teachers' pet had it's benefits after all. We stopped as Dana leaned against the locker and rambled on about something while now and then Will and I would comment.

My eyes wandered around the busy hallways while Will was talking when I stopped and pushed myself off the lockers. Logan was here again and this time he was staring down Jenna and Elena. I swallowed hard as a chill passed through me. I stared at the crowd but didn't react yet. Logan was already suspicious of me, the last thing I wanted was to deliberately get his attention.

"—form of self-preservation." Jenna retorted to Logan about something.

But Logan didn't look offended, instead there was a predatory look in his eyes. I looked at him disgusted "—Um, Elena, why don't you and Jenna go somewhere else?" Stefan interrupted Logan and threw Elena a look.

In true Elena-like fashion, she hesitated and Logan caught on. I groaned and quickly bid the other two goodbye and walked over to the trouble. I threw on a plastic smile and walked over to them. "Oh my gosh! Jenna." I went over and placed my hands on Jenna's shoulders in a really sickly sweet perky voice that would put Caroline Forbes to shame. I see why she wanted me to be on the cheer squad now. "I was looking everywhere for you."

"You were?" Jenna asked, clearly confused. "Your uncle sent you here. Didn't he? " She asked in a bored tone. "I swear Nare needs to stop acting so weird."

Logan's head snapped to stare at me with a suspicious look. I suppressed a shiver and snorted. "Do I look like his errand girl or something?" I retorted. "No. I wanted to show you and Elena, Jeremy's artworks." I added, glancing at Elena to play along. "It's great, you guys need to see it especially since you guys were so worried bout him."

Elena nodded understandingly. "Lead the way." Elena nodded and grabbed Jenna's arms. "Let's go, Jenna." She dragged Jenna behind me as I walked off in another direction. But I made sure to throw Stefan a meaningful look while Logan was too busy staring at Jenna.

* * *

I left Jenna and went off to find Stefan but I didn't get far when Elena decided to tag along. "Did you know about this? Logan..." I stopped her before she could finish and gave her a crazed look. She really had the worst timings.

"I knew only a little." I replied as I carefully weaved through the crowds and led Elena to a door to the back of the school.

"You're good at this." She commented quietly, hugging herself.

"Good at what?"

"All of this. Like I'm freaking out right now." She paused to take a deep breath. "But you. You're handling things fine." I scoffed. "No, don't deny it. Back then with Jenna and..." I turned around to give her a look to not mention 'Logan', in case he heard us or something. "You handled things pretty well. And I don't think he even suspected a thing."

"Good."

"Good?"

"I mean that it's good that he doesn't suspect that I know. It just means I can live peacefully. You should do that as well."

Elena didn't say anything for a while but just dodged oncoming people. "...It looked like you had practice." She commented after a while.

I paused. "I told you and Bonnie about my family. Didn't I? Pretending is just a part of survival. You should learn to hide your expressions."

"What for?"

"So you don't become a vampire snack. You're like an open book, El." I retorted, stopping outside the door for a few seconds. Elena nodded understandingly before I pushed the door outside open and letting her go out first. I knew she wouldn't bother listening, she was stubborn. And not the good kind.

I watched in silence as Elena stomped over to Stefan with a determined look. I followed behind wordlessly. I almost felt bad for Stefan. He really was trying his best to keep everyone safe but he had to deal with problems that were not his. Kinda like me in a sense except I wasn't that nice, I knew when to walk away. I stood by on the side while Elena went off on poor Stefan who tried his best to explain the situation to Elena without giving too much away or giving too little.

This was a doomed relationship or it was at this point in time. Things change with time but right now from where I stood, I could tell Elena wanted too much and Stefan gave too much. When Elena was done, I walked over to Stefan and told him that I wasn't getting involved but the council was. I expected him to be disappointed or angered but he wasn't. To my surprise, Stefan nodded understandingly and let me go. He didn't try to rope me into helping him like Damon did. He just let me and Elena go back to our normal lives.

* * *

"Ava. Hey." Matt greeted me while I was mid-conversation with Aimee. Aimee glared at Matt before disappearing through the hallway. "Sorry. You looked busy."

I sighed and pushed myself off the locker. I strode towards the front school doors and led him to a couple of picnic tables. Gesturing him to sit down, I took a seat on the table. Matt didn't sit down instead he stood in front of me with his hands in his pockets and kicked at the dirt in front of him. "What's wrong?" I asked, folding my hands and staring at him. "You don't look so good. Career's fair was that bad? Huh."

He swallowed hard and started to protest. "No, it was great. Lots to think about. It's just..." He sighed. "I miss talking to you and now I don't know what to say."

I breathed out loudly and pursed my lips. The feeling of guilt was constricting. Matt was probably one of the few parts of my life in this town and the only one I could be myself around. I was pushing him away because of my selfishness and my inability to deal with failure. I failed to save his sister and now I was avoiding him because I couldn't stand to look at him without wanting to cry. I needed to pull myself together and get over this. I couldn't go on like this forever.

"Ava?" He asked when the silence filled the distance between us. "You here?"

"I'm listening. I was just thinking." I replied, pulling at my sleeves. "...I'm sorry." I quietly said without glancing up. "I'm sorry for being a terrible friend."

Matt laughed. My head snapped to stare at Matt in disbelief. I'm sorry but here I was wallowing in self-pity and guilt while the subject of my self-pity was standing here laughing at me. I stared at me with an open mouth and a look of disbelief. "I'm sorry." He said in between his laughter. "...It's just. It's funny that you're so dramatic."

"I'm not dramatic." I pouted. "I'm genuinely upset over being a terrible friend." I complained, letting go of my sleeves and mock-glaring at Matt.

"Well, in that case." He took a seat beside me on the bench. "I'm glad."

"You're glad?"

"Yep. I'm glad that 'Ava Fitzroy' is a human that can make mistakes. Here I was thinking you were perfect." He commented, staring at the full moon on the starless night sky. I followed his gaze wordlessly. "Would help if you could teach Caroline, a thing or two." He whispered to no one in particular.

I looked down and gazed at him. "Caroline?" I repeated my blonde best friend's name while staring at Matt, confused. "Thought you guys were hitting it off so well. What happened?" I picked up my legs off the floor and sat cross-legged on the table.

Matt sighed loudly. "Nothing. It's just..."

"Just? Come on." I grabbed his hands into mine. "You're not giving me much to work here, Matty." I leaned towards him with a smile. "Look I don't know what exactly is going on but Caroline is doing her best right now when it comes to you."

"I know. It's just. It doesn't feel like it." He replied with a sad smile. "Doesn't help that Tyler keeps bugging me about Caroline. Like he's being such a dick about it as well."

I snorted. "This is Tyler Lockwood, we're talking about. Being a dick is his only personality trait." I joked. I knew after today it wasn't true but I was trying to cheer Matt up and be a good friend.

Matt smiled. "Well, he's being extra dick'ish today for god-knows what reason."

"He's dad's here today. No sign of his mom." I commented lightly.

"I know. I get his family. My family's complicated too but doesn't mean he has to take it out on others."

"Have you...I don't know...tried telling him all of this?" I questioned with an eyebrow raised. He opened and closed his mouth but no words came out. "Thought so. Okay, new plan." I clapped my hands together, letting go off Matt's as a result. "You're gonna give Ty a piece of your mind and then tell Care how exactly you feel. Got it." Matt nodded. "Good. Now go." I tried to push him off the table, only to fail.

Matt laughed and then sighed. "That's great but Caroline's gone. She left already."

"Already?" I asked, perplexed. "But Bonnie's still inside. She was meant to hitch a ride with Bonnie." I gestured to the open doors of the school.

"Yeah, she hitched a ride with none other than Logan freakin' Fell." I choked and started coughing violently. "Woah. You okay?"

I swallowed and nodded, trying to convince Matt I was fine. "Caroline went home with Logan." I commented with wide eyes.

"Yeah..." Matt replied, confused. "What's going on?"

"Oh my god. I have to..." I glanced at Matt and grabbed his shoulders. "Go give Tyler a piece of your mind. It doesn't matter to him whether or not you date Caroline. Do what makes you happy. Okay?"

Matt's deep blue eyes flickered to amber as he nodded blankly, getting off the table and heading off somewhere else. I watched him go before I glanced around me and quickly took out my phone, calling Damon.

"Logan took Caroline." I said without waiting for Damon to answer.

"Well, hello to you too."

"I don't have time for this. Find Logan and get Caroline back...please." I bit my lips anxiously as I tugged at my sleeves, worried sick about Caroline.

There was a wave of suffocating silence on the other end. "I got this. Don't worry."

"Thanks." I quietly said and hung up before Damon could say anything else. I stared at the night sky and sighed before back inside as I plastered on a smile. Even if I was not okay, I had to pretend to be okay.

* * *

"Now the Sheriff is running around after Logan cause he kidnapped Caroline." Uncle Nate rambled on as he stared at Jenna and Mr Saltzman from a distance. "I'm just glad it's not you."

"But it's Caroline." I groaned, throwing him a sharp glare. "Y'know the same girl who was abused by a vampire not too long ago." I whispered aggressively.

He shrugged. "Bad luck? Hey, at least they got her back and she's safe." He offered, quietly as Jenna and Mr Saltzman walked up to us. "Anyways, act normal. Jenna and Rick are coming here."

"Rick?"

"Mr Saltzman, your new history teacher." He replied with a carefree grin.

I rolled my eyes and threw him an annoyed look. "That's my history teacher."

"Who is a very cool guy, might I add. Much better than Tanner."

I huffed loudly. "Whatever. Just don't make it weird cause J—" I felt someone stand behind me while Uncle Nate suppressed his smile in front of me. I turned around and glanced behind me to get a better look. "Mr Saltzman and...Jenna." I greeted and then looked back at my uncle.

"Ava." Mr Saltzman smiled. "Jenna was telling me—"

Just then my phone started ringing. I smiled awkwardly and carefully took it out, avoiding my uncle's gaze. "I'm sorry about this but I really have to take this." I said politely while the other three looked on as I quickly excused myself and ran outside to the dark and empty parking lot. "Elena? Hey. What's up?"

"Can you come get me?" She asked without hesitation.

"Where are you?" I replied, running to my car.

"I'm at Stefan's." She gasped and started sobbing loudly. "You were right...I look like her."

I got in the car and started the car while the phone was pressed between my shoulders and my ears. "Look...like who?" I drove out off the parking lot and into the road.

"Katherine." She breathed out as she quietly sobbed out. "I thought you were joking but I saw it...there was a picture of me—No, it was Katherine!" She gasped in pain as I heard some doors closing and a sound of running while I sped through the empty roads. "She looked so much like me. It was..."

"Elena. I need you to calm down and breathe, okay?" I focused my eyes on the road. My hands felt clammy and started shaking violently. It was real. Lydia's memories. Katherine's appearances, they were all real. "...Real." I spoke out-loud.

"...I'm so sorry. I should've believed you." She moaned as she gasped and tried to stop herself from crying.

I didn't say anything for a while as I haphazardly parked in front of the Salvatore boarding house and quickly unlocked the car. "Get in." I said quietly. Elena got in wordlessly, throwing one last look at her own car which was parked on the other side. "Do you want me to—"

"No." She sniffed. "I'll come back for it later. Please just...take me home."

For a moment, neither of us said anything while Elena stared at the road in shock. "I'm sorry." I quietly began. "I didn't know if it was real or I was going mad. I...I just wanted to let someone know—I didn't mean to hurt you." I sniffed as a few drops of tears rolled down my face.

"It's not your fault. You at least tried to warn me." She folded her arms around herself. "But he approached me knowing I look like her...I can't...I can't—"

"But you're nothing like her." My phone started ringing just then. "Wait. Hold on." My eyes widened as I realized who it was. I didn't pick it up immediately, instead I held it up for Elena to see. She swallowed and turned away from me without saying anything. Conflicted, I flipped it open and pressed it against my ear with one hand. "Hey, Stefan..." I glanced at Elena with a look to be quiet.

"Have you seen Elena? I called Bonnie already and she's not with her."

"Isn't she supposed to be with you?" I questioned, sharing a look with Elena.

"She was and now she's gone. Her car is still here."

"Huh." I clenched my jaws. "So she left."

"I don't think she went home...but why would—" He cut himself off.

I rolled my eyes, berating myself for getting involved in this lover's spat but this wasn't just a simple lover's spat. "I don't know, maybe she found one of the skeleton's in your closet." I remarked sarcastically. It wasn't exactly a lie. "Look, it's been a long day for me and I'd like to just go home and sleep. So if you don't mind." I hung up without expecting a response.

"Can I crash at your house?" Elena asked quietly, her voice a little dry from crying.

I nodded wordlessly. "If it makes you feel any better...you don't act like her."

"Then why do I look like her. I'm a Gilbert and she—"

"—She's a Pierce." I shook my head. "It doesn't make sense. Katherine was clearly a vampire and from what I know they can't have children and there's no records of Pierces in Mystic Falls." I took my eyes off the road for a while to stare at Elena. It was confusing. Elena was a Gilbert. Katherine was a Pierce. There was no way for them to be related, especially since there were no records of Katherine having a family in Mystic Falls or them marrying into the Gilbert line or maybe it was the Sommers' line that we needed to look at. I was confused about everything, from Elena's heritage to my own flashes of memories of another time. I didn't know what to do.

"Then how—" Elena turned away from me and sat up straight. "LOOK OUT!" I snapped my gaze back onto the road.

There was a man standing in the middle of the road. Unmoving. He just stood there. A cold chill passed through me as I shivered violently. Without a thought, I stopped the car and tried to reverse it. But I didn't manage to get far as the man was gone when we looked back. Elena sighed in relief. But I knew he wasn't gone. I could still feel it. For a moment, we were sitting ducks. He was carefully hunting us while we silently panicked. "Carefully get my bag, it's in front of you. There's a dagger. Get it out." I quietly commanded Elena without taking my eyes off the road. She hesitated for a moment. "Now!" I gave her a sharp glance and quickly locked all the doors.

Elena fumbled around in my bag and got out the dagger and held it up to her chest defensively. "Wha—"

She didn't manage to get any words out as the car was tossed and turned upside down in an instant. Elena gasped and moaned in pain, trying to get herself loose. I mimicked her actions and struggled against the seat-belt which felt suffocating. Every time, I tugged and pulled at it, it felt tighter and tighter around me. I gasped in pain, trying to keep myself awake and not give in to the pain. I pushed one of my arms free and turned to help Elena get free when the unknown vampire flashed in front of us.

"You smell good. But first..." He hissed, his face shrouded in darkness while his figure hovered over us. "Hello, Katherine." He turned his attention to Elena and made an attempt to grab Elena. She shrieked and tried to stab the vampire with the dagger but she missed and the vampire plucked the dagger from her hands and threw it away.

Without thinking, I grabbed the vampire's hands and before I knew it a warm glow filled the car, illuminating the car and the woods around us, almost blinding me. I could hear the sizzling of flesh as I gripped the vampire's hand tight while he desperately tried to pry my hands off of him.

His screams echoed throughout the empty roads as the putrid smell of flesh burning hit my nostrils. Elena gasped in surprise. Warm blood started dripping down my nose as I let go and used whatever energy I had left to push the vampire off of the car. I blinked twice to get my sight back as I pushed him with my glowing hands. His chest sizzled and burned as he propelled through the air and landed a few distance away from us. I breathed in and out in relief as I swallowed heavily. Turning to look at Elena, I sighed in relief as my eyes drooped and I faded in and out of consciousness.

"Ava!" I heard Elena scream as my eyes rolled to the back of my head and head fell to the side while everything faded into nothingness.


	12. Vagabond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into Ava's life before Mystic Falls, what she was and what she lost in a night while she's forced to tag along with Damon on his quest to find another way into the tomb.

Chapter 11: Vagabond

* * *

_**21st April 2009, Start of Spring Break...** _

" _Come on, Ava. Cheer up." A perky voice whined. "Who cares if Isaac wants to 'go find himself' instead of being with you." Hanna's honey blonde hair swayed in the wind gently as she dragged me out of the campervan and towards the campsite. "This week is all 'bout us. Not that two-timing, gold-digging, jerk face, Isaac who's probably kicking himself right now."_

_I blinked twice as I mindlessly followed her, still wallowing over my breakup. I mean technically I broke up with him and it was months ago. Why was I still so sad?_

_I huffed loudly and threw my hair back behind my shoulders, only to let go of Hanna's hands to go back for my backpack. I loved her, she was one of my best friends, could cheer you up like no one else but at times, she could be so absent-minded. Like forgetting to take out the bags and food or the tents or forgetting the map or Or forgetting to lock the car for once. God, what would this girl do without me._

_Sometimes, she reminded me of Caroline Forbes, one of my child-hood friends from Mystic Fall. But she wasn't Caroline. Caroline from what I remembered was dedicated and a little self-centered with zero filter with a lot of confidence. Hanna on the other hand, was the kindest and the most air-headed person you would ever meet but socially shy. When her head wasn't in the clouds, it would be in the dance studio, practicing ballet. The only thing that she was truly dedicated to._

_Rolling my eyes, I turned off the engine and took out the keys. I got out and picked up the bags, putting Hanna's bag on the hard floor of the parking lot. Hanna had gone and disappeared. I knew she would come back. She always did. I shivered a little as cool spring air caressed my half-exposed shoulders. Carefully, I pulled my denim jacket over my exposed shoulders and pulled at the sleeves._

_From the parking lot of the woods, I could see the branches of nearby trees swaying in the breeze as it invited us into the deep woods. The skies were clear and blue with white clouds, gently gliding across the sky. I breathed out and breathed in the woodsy smell of the woods. Hanna was right, this wasn't about Isaac. This was about having the best spring break I could have with Hanna and everyone before I went back to Mystic Falls. Screw Isaac. Screw his beautiful forest green eyes and his stupid camera that he carried everywhere with him. I don't need him. He could go find himself the nearest mortuary for all I cared about._

_I swung my red backpack over my shoulders and then walked over to the back of the campervan to check for the tent. There was no tent. "Oh my gosh. You're still here?! We're supposed to be swimming on the lake by now or grilling up some hotdogs' on the barbeque or y'know what I mean." Hanna stomped over to me and grabbed my hands, ready to drag me away again. "Everyone's waiting for—oh, right. Bags. I totally forgot."_

" _Of course you did. You scatter-brained goat." A sarcastic voice drawled out._

_I huffed and turned to glance at Scarlett. Her short copper hair was pushed back with a bright crimson hair band as she twirled a loose strand of her hair while she walked over to us and rolled her eyes. "Scar, be nice." I checked her outfit out. She looked cute but seriously a plaid skirt with a red cardigan on a camping trip. "Love your outfit but we're here to camp. Not audition for 'Heathers'." I remarked with a grin._

_She snorted and picked up her bag from the trunk, closing it after she did so. "It's for my aesthetic. Obviously. Although, I don't mind channelling Heather C." She checked her nails and shrugged._

" _Aesthetic? Seriously." Asher appeared from behind Scarlett. He stood behind his twin with his hands on his hips. Scarlett turned around and stuck out her tongue. I laughed watching the twins bicker. "Just don't cry when you trip and scrape your knees or something." He turned his gaze back to me and Hanna. He breathed out and smiled, waving at us. "Hey, Ava." He grinned as a light blush spread across his face. He turned away from me to glance at Hanna. "Hanna."_

_Hanna, Scarlett and I shared a look before I rolled my eyes and decided to break the silence. "There's no tents. Are we staying at a cabin or are we gonna build our own shelter?" I teased Asher as he ran his fingers through his ash blonde hair._

_He laughed. "No—"_

"— _You guys just gonna stand around or we gonna get to Dev's lakehouse after the spring break is over?" Amanda asked while she stood at the edge of the woods with Max, Devin and Jason behind her staring at us, bored. Max and Devin left while Jason stayed behind for his girlfriend. "Coooome on." She gestured to the woods as she disappeared with Jason's hand in hers. Scarlett and Hanna followed. Hanna remembered to lock the campervan after taking back the keys from me._

" _Shall we?" Asher gestured after our friends._

_I took his hands. "We shall." I shivered a little as I felt someone's gaze on me. I turned around to look behind me at the empty parking lot. There was no one there but I could feel someone's gaze on me. "Hey, Ash." I called out as we stepped into the woods. Asher turned his head to gaze at me as he gently tugged me into the woods. "Do you feel like we're being watched?" I asked, a little on the edge._

" _...No. Maybe, it's probably a bird or something_ — _" Just as Asher spoke, a loud and sharp caw was heard as a black bird flew over our heads. Asher and I ducked, placing our hands over our ears to block out the loud cawing of the crow. "It was a crow." Asher laughed. "You were getting worked up over a crow."_

" _Shut up." I glared at him before rolling my eyes and smiling sheepishly. "We're getting late." I pouted. Asher grinned as I passed him the compass, Hanna and I had bought a couple weeks before the trip. He held it up and pointed in front of him. I grabbed his hand and set off in that direction._

* * *

_Pulling my towel closer to my body, I slipped on my denim shorts. I buttoned up my shorts and picked up my flip flops, slipping them on. My hair was still wet as it lay on my back. Planning to dry it later, I skipped over to my friends who were all gathered around the docks, staring at the horizon. Seeing me come over, Scarlett and Hanna scooted over making space for me in-between Scarlett and Asher. He smiled as he and Max scooted over._

" _Watching the sunset. Pretty romantic. Don't y'all think?" Max carefully commented, giving a suggestive look to Asher and me before glancing at Amanda and Jason who were practically on top of each other._

_It wasn't the first sunset we had seen after the break had started but it felt different. Three days into our break and things were definitely better. I had long forgotten about Isaac. Hanna had grown closer to Devin, someone she had obviously been in love with since they were kids. Even I had to admit, this was a great idea. I had even gotten closer to Asher. Everyone was definitely happier. God, I was gonna miss leaving them behind. I was gonna miss them a lot._

_I rolled my eyes while Asher awkwardly smiled, turning away to glare at Max. "It is. Isn't it?" Hanna commented with a dreamy expression on her face. Scarlett, Asher, Max and I stared at each other for a while before craning our heads to glance Hanna and Devin gazing at each other._

_Max leaned forward. "Since when is 'that'_ —" _He gestured to Hanna and Devin. "_ — _a thing."_

_I placed a hand over my mouth and muffled my laughter. Scarlett shook her head, bored. "Since a while, Max. Wake up and look around." Asher retorted, rolling his eyes. "They look good. Dev's clearly happy." His eyes wandered over to me._

" _I can't believe you didn't know about that. It was so goddamn obvious." I added with a smirk, putting my head on Asher's shoulders._

_Scarlett nodded, her wet copper tresses covering her face as she did so. "Come on, Mad Max. You gotta look past your video games, sometimes." She added, tossing her hair back._

_Max scoffed. "You guys are missing a perfectly good sunset." Amanda called out as she nestled her head into Jason's neck. Scarlett and I shared a mutual look of disgust as the twins, Max and I stuck out our middle fingers at the overly affectionate couple and shifted in our seats to gaze at the sunset._

_We all watched in silence as the sun set slowly. My head on Asher's shoulders, we locked our hands together quietly gazing at the sunset. The bright orange orb burned the sky a vivid kaleidoscope of blues, lavenders, oranges, reds and yellow. Slowly, little by little, the sun shrunk as it was devoured by the quiet and still lake. Then it was gone, leaving us with a sky of lilac. Jason being Jason decided to start clapping, Amanda followed her boyfriend suit, to stop him from embarrassing himself while Scarlett and Max shrugged only to follow. The rest of us cheered on as well. It was nice._

_Devin was the first to get up. Scarlett and I watched with a similar smirk as he held out his hand for Hanna. She took it without a thought as she smiled with a dreamy look on her face. On the other side, Jason carried Amanda on his back as they marched down the dock and back to the lake house. I laughed as I followed Scarlett. I stopped when a cold shiver passed through me. I felt a gaze on me. When I looked around. There was no one._

_Caw. Caw. Caw._

_I gazed at the now-dark purple sky above as a black crow flew above my head and sat on a branch nearby. Caw. It called out once more as it's black beady eyes stared into my amber orbs. I shivered involuntarily, pulling my towel tighter around me. The bird turned it's head away from me and looked off into the distance. I followed it's gaze into the deep dark woods. I took a sharp breath and shook my head, striding over to the lake house._

* * *

_Heavy breaths and pants were mixed in with the rain as I sprinted through the woods, being half-dragged by Asher as I also tugged Scarlett behind me. Leaping over the thin winding creaks, moss-covered boulders and the rain soaked slippery rocks, we made our way back to the campervan. We had all packed in a hurry after last night. This spring break had taken a clear turn for the worse._

_Everything had blurred into a sickening blend of blood, rain and the darkness of the night. The earth was wet and moist under my feet. Even through my heavy combat boots, I could feel the rain-soaked forest floor. Hanna jumped into a muddy brook, swollen by the ongoing rains, her knees scraped, her dress soaked in mud and rain. She gasped and moaned in pain while Devin quickly picked her up without hesitation, placing her on his back. "Keep going." Devin hissed, picking up his stride with Hanna on his back._

_I swallowed and nodded, dragging the twins after Devin who had the keys to the campervan. "We need to go back." Amanda cried out, pulling Scarlett and as a result, pulling me and Asher. "Please. You guys, Jason is back there. We need to go back." She begged as tears slid down her face, mixing in with rain._

_Max stomped over to us and pulled Scarlett away from Amanda, giving Asher a look to do the same to me. He glared hard at Amanda and started walking away, tugging Scarlett behind me. "You can go back if you want to but we won't." He declared, starting to pick up his pace._

_She glanced at me and Asher in desperation as Max and Scarlett disappeared behind the curtain of tall and dark trees. Asher glared at her mercilessly while I threw her a helpless look before running off after the two couples in front of us. In my haste, to get away, I had accidentally dropped the compass. It shattered the moment it hit the forest floor. Asher bent down to pick it up before handing it to me. It was still working, I guess. Without thinking, we carried on running._

_The woods began to widen and thin layers of fallen pine needles and leaves disguised the perilous and rocky terrain. We ran beside Max and Scarlett, Hanna and Devin, long gone along the twisted creek. From behind us, I could faintly hear Amanda's breaths as she ran, trying to catch up with us. "Please..." She tried again._

" _...I can hear you all." A deep and teasing voice echoed throughout the woods. We all paused and shared a look. Amanda threw her hands over her mouth to silence herself. Oh my god. He was getting closer. "Ready or not. Here I come." I pulled my hood further along my face and pulled Asher to continue running while throwing a look at Max and Scarlett to do the same. Amanda didn't need a sign as she helplessly followed us. "Come on, Ava. I just wanna play." The voice taunted me as Asher's grip on my hands tightened._

_We reached the parking lot in no time, catching up to Devin and Hanna. Devin fumbled around with the keys for a bit as we held our breaths in fear of being caught. He quickly found the keys, unlocking the door and sliding into the driver's seat with Max in the passenger seat. Hanna, Scarlett and I along with Asher quickly filed into the campervan, ready to close the door. But we hesitated as Amanda stood outside. "Amanda. Get in, please." Hanna begged her with her hand outstretched to her._

" _Jason's not coming back, Mandy. Come on." Scarlett added as she held my scarf to her bleeding neck._

_Amanda snapped her head to glare at the red-head. "You don't know that!" She hissed as she rubbed her arms. Her dark skin, glistened in the rain as she kept on sobbing. "None...of you know that. Please, let's go back for him. I'm begging you guys." She sobbed._

_I breathed out tiredly, sharing a look with Max and Devin before I pulled Amanda into the van without warning. "I'm so sorry but you saw those fishermen or...their bodies at least." I pulled the door closed as Asher signalled Devin to start the van. "He's gone. There's no way he would have survived. I'm so sorry." I stared at her with teary eyes while Asher rubbed my arms, trying to comfort me._

_She choked as she let out another set of sobs. "No...no, no! This can't...be happening." She cried helplessly while Devin sped through the roads. Her eyes became unfocused and bleary. I leaned into Asher's arms and buried my face into his body. All of a sudden, Amanda dragged me off of him and pushed me onto the floor of the van. "This is your fault. None of this would be happening if you didn't date that low-life wannabe artist, Isaac." She screeched while Hanna helped me back into my seat as she and Scarlett along with Asher glared hatefully at Amanda. "And now...now he's back to rip our heads off and drink our...blood."_

_Then she did something, no one saw coming. Amanda turned her attention to Devin. She reached over and turned the steering wheel, fighting with the boys at the front for control of the van. The van shook as it almost swerved off the road. Asher sprang into action and with his twin, pulling Amanda off the boys. "You stupid bitch. What the hell were you thinking?!" Scarlett punched Amanda's arm as she shouted at her._

" _Literally none of this would even be happening if Jason didn't invite Isaac and Brook." Max turned around and spat out. "Now Brook is lying dead with a broken neck somewhere in the woods along with those fishermen and Isaac's out for blood, all cause your 'boyfriend' couldn't take a fuckin' hint that no one wanted to invite more people." He continued on._

" _He was trying to be nice for once. For Ava. For all of you." Amanda retorted without hesitation. "Come on Ash, Isaac's supposed to be your best friend."_

" _Best friend, my ass. He was cheating on Ava with multiple girls for 'artistic inspiration' and only dated Ava cause he knew Asher liked her since day one. Thought he was Da Vinci or some shit." Max added, glaring at Amanda._

_I choked. "What?" I turned towards Asher and Max stared at them with wide eyes. "You all knew about this." I gasped out. "And you." I glared at Amanda. "You were defending Isaac. What the hell?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't my main concern, I was already over Isaac. I knew he was a terrible person. My main problem was that Isaac was a vampire. How he died and why he was hunting us was a mystery to me. Like come on, he cheated on me with multiple girls, why is he fixated on me for crying out loud. "Y'know what? Forget it. That's not my main concern. Let's focus on getting back home. Okay?"_

_A chorus of agreement rang through the van as everyone agreed with what I had said except Amanda who still looked helpless and betrayed. I took a seat next to Asher again, putting my head on his shoulders and closed my eyes. I was so tired. "Screw you all." She spat out. My eyes snapped open as I stared at Amanda. She took a seat beside the door. "I hope Isaac gets you all." She laughed with a crazed look in her eyes._

_Thwack._

_The loud sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed throughout the van. A hush fell throughout the van as Hanna pulled her hands back and rubbed it. She had slapped Amanda. The twins stared with their mouth and eyes widened in shock. I mimicked them. Hanna, who would never hurt a fly in her life, had just slapped Amanda. "Pull yourself together and look at yourself." Hanna began, her usual perkiness was gone, replaced by a helpless and tired tone. "Jason wasn't worth it. Never was. Never had been."_

_"Shut up." Amanda bit out. "What do you know?"_

_"He was sleeping with Brook." Devin suddenly spoke out, taking his eyes off the road for a second. "That's why he invited her two days ago."_

_"Wha_ — _" Amanda breathed out. "That bastard." She pushed herself against the door of the van and started sobbing hard._

_No one said anything for a while. Then Amanda stopped sobbing, turned around. It happened all too quick. She pulled the door open and slid out of the moving van, closing the door behind her. "Amanda!" "Mandy!" We all yelled out in shock. Devin stopped the car as Scarlett parted the curtains at the back of the van._

_From the back window we could see, Amanda lying on her back as she painfully picked herself off the road. I could see from a distance, blood dripping down her head while cuts and bruises marred her chocolate skin. It looked painful._

_Devin started reversing the car to get Amanda back when we all screamed out for him to stop. Isaac stood behind her with his mouth caked in blood, a crazed look in his eyes as he grinned from ear to ear like a psychotic serial killer._

_We all screamed at Amanda to run but much to our dismay she only stared at us, dazed. Isaac threw us all one last crazed look before he dove straight into Amanda's neck while flashing to where she was. Her screams echoed throughout the woods and the empty rain-soaked roads. Without even thinking Devin, restarted the car as he sped through the slippery road again._

_"Oh my god! Amanda!" Scarlett sobbed as she leaned her head on her brother's shoulders. I was too shocked to do or say anything. "She...she's gone." She sobbed even harder._

_"We need to get out of here_ — _" But Max never finished those words._

_"LOOK OUT!" I yelled out. Isaac stood in the middle of the road. Before Devin could react, he drove straight through him. The van flipped and crashed before it landed. Glass shattered as the van split into two. The last thing I remembered was Isaac standing over all of us before I faded out to nothing._

* * *

Gasp.

"—little place—outside of Atlanta—don't wanna go back—now—problems—still —be—when you get home—Step away from your life for five minutes. Five minutes!" Damon's loud voice pulled me away from the nightmares of my past as I groaned and moaned in pain. I awoke with a gasp, clutching my stomach. "Oh look! 'Little Miss Sunshine' is awake." His head poked into the car as he smirked down at me. "Good morning, sunshine!"

I shrinked away from him as daylight hit my eyes. Using my hands to cover my eyes, I cowered and clenched my head in pain. There was an odd buzzing in my ear. Breathing in and out, I tried to calm myself. "Oh my god! Ava, you woke up. I was so worried." Elena pushed Damon aside and engulfed me into a hug. I blinked hard, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Wha—" I said only to stop myself, my throat felt dry and painful.

"Here." Damon disappeared for a second, only to return with a water bottle. "Drink this." He held out the water bottle in front of me as he leaned on the side of the open passenger door. Bending down and standing up straight, he looked me over. "...Huh. Guess you didn't need my blood after all." He tilted his head to a side and glanced at Elena. "I gave some to Elena, here. But when it came to you, you started healing freakishly fast. Like you started glowing like a firefly and then you were fine."

His words rang through my head as I debated for a while whether or not I should accept the water bottle. After a while, the desperate side of me won as I carefully snatched the bottle away from him and took a sip. I had healed fast. That hadn't happened before. Last time, I overused my powers, I needed vampire blood so what was so different this time.

Within seconds, half of it was empty. "...What are we doing in Atlanta?" I questioned out loud, handing him back the bottle and changing the subject before Elena could ask anything else.

"We—" He gestured to me and Elena as he leaned over me to put the bottle away. "—are going to meet an old friend of mine for something."

I sighed and threw my head back, rubbing my head in pain. This migraine was killing me, I turned to stare at Elena when my eyes had adjusted to the bright light. She was safe and mostly unharmed, there was a cut on her forehead, other than that, she was fine. But on her neck, her locket was missing. The one with vervain. Pushing myself off the leather seat of the car, I turned my body to face Elena and Damon. They were both bickering over something, I didn't care enough to listen to.

"Where's your necklace?" I asked, folding my arms.

Without a word, her hands moved to her neck. She breathed out loudly. "I...left it at Stefan's..." She trailed off as she realized what she had done. In anger, she foolishly left the one thing that could protect her from vampires. Her head snapped to glance at Damon in fear. "You promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"

Damon glanced at me while I gave him a look of warning. He clenched his jaws and reluctantly nodded. "Yes." He got in the driver's seat, before opening the back door for Elena.

But Elena didn't get in. Instead she stood there with her arms folded. "Can we even trust you?" She interrogated him, glancing at me for support.

In response, I shrugged. "Probably not." I retorted, pulling the passenger door to close it. I gestured to her to get in. "...But I guess we might as well enjoy the ride, since we're gonna skip a whole day of school. Might as well make it worthwhile."

"You heard her. Get in the car. Come on." Damon added, starting the car again. Elena glared at him before she mouthed something to me. Something I didn't catch as she stomped over and got in the car. I turned to glance at Damon who smirked before he sped down the sunny countryside road to his destination

* * *

Damon pulled up in front of a bar which was almost in the middle of nowhere. He parked his car near the entrance of the bar. I poked my head out the window to stare at the sign. 'Bree's Bar'. It read. Bringing my head back, I followed Damon out. I got out and stretched my legs, looking around the parking lot as I did so. There weren't many cars parked in front of the bar. It made sense. It was the middle of the day during office hours.

"You brought us to a...bar." Elena accused Damon as she got out of the car reluctantly, pulling me along with her. I rolled my eyes at Elena's dramatic antics and pulled away. "We're not old enough, they're not gonna let us in."

I gave Elena a deadpan look before turning around to go back to Damon's car to grab my cardigan. "Um, 'Lena. Have you seen who we're with?" I asked out aloud, slipping the dusty rose cardigan on.

"Exactly. Ava's got it." He smirked, turning away from us and leading us into the bar.

Elena huffed loudly and stomped after him, pulling me with her, again. "Hey! I'm not defending Damon." She stopped at the threshold of the bar. Her head snapped to glare at me. I dropped my voice and grinned. "I'm just stating the obvious, here. He's a vamp. Now, come on." Now I grabbed her hands and gently tugged her inside.

Inside the bar, there were customers sparsely spread out while a beautiful woman tended the bar. She wiped the bar with a rag as music blared ambiently from the speakers hanging overhead. Most of the bar patrons seemed half drunk already or too busy among themselves to notice us. I glanced around the bar to get a feel of it. It was definitely different from the Mystic Grill. This felt more rustic in a way, more warm.

I glanced back at the bar as Elena and I followed close behind Damon who rubbed his hands together in anticipation. The bartender put down her rag and turned her head to look at us. "No." She walked over to the front of the bar to get a closer look at us. "No, it can't be." Her large brunette curls spilled down her back as a flash of recognition went across her face. In an instant, her mood turned from apathetic to excited. "Damon." She jumped over the bar, sliding across it and strutted over to Damon.

"My honey pie." She called out sweetly. Elena and I shared a look of confusion but before either of us could react. The mystery tall, dark and beautiful woman kissed Damon. They started making out while Elena and I looked on in disgust. Great, now I wanted to throw up. I regretted not backing up Elena back in the car. I should've gone home.

I watched with wide eyes of disgust, turning away to preserve whatever was left of my 'innocence'. Luckily, it was around this time, the woman let go of sucking Damon's face. Letting him go, she strode towards the bar and gestured to four empty seats in front of the bar. Without a word, Elena and I took a seat beside each other. Damon decided to take a seat next to Elena as I decided to make the seat next to mine, a place to keep my cardigan.

The woman as Damon had introduced her as 'Bree' hopped over the bar again and picked up a bottle of tequila. Her hips swung side to side seductively as she brought it over. "Listen up everybody!" She shouted, holding the bottle of tequila up and getting the whole bar's attention with her loud and confident tone. "Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" She opened the bottle up and poured shots for everyone, bringing four over. "Drink up!" She and Damon shared a smirk before their downed their shot in one go.

For a while, Elena stared at hers in discomfort, seeing this Damon took hers without hesitation. After a moment of self-debating, I reached over to drink mine, only for Damon to drink mine as well. I glared at him as he simply shrugged with a mocking grin on his face. This was totally revenge for not letting him sit next to me. Bree chuckled, leaning over me and Elena. "Ahh. Whoo!" She stared at Elena with some interest. "So, how'd he rope you in?" She poured Elena another shot.

Elena hesitated to answer, glancing at me awkwardly. I just shrugged, reaching over to down my shot this time. Only for Damon to take it out of my hands again. Come on. He's the one who told us to have fun. "She's not roped in." I grumbled out as I glared at Damon.

I turned to give Elena a look. She stared at me with a gratified smile. "Yeah, I'm actually dating his brother." She added with an awkward smile. Elena really didn't want to be here.

"Congrats." Bree grinned and leaned towards me. "So you're the one whose roped in then." She questioned, her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief.

I choked on my spit and started coughing violently. "God, no." I waved my hands in front of my face to emphasize my answer, accidentally touching Bree. She noticeably froze for a second before her eyes shifted back to it's mischievous glint. "I'd rather stick a hot poker in my eye and throw myself off a cliff with a snake attached to my neck than be roped in with 'that'..." I gestured to Damon.

She chuckled lightly in response. Her eyes still distracted as she stared off at a distance. "Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride." She poured more drinks.

Elena stared at me in concern before shifting her attention to Bree. "Okay. So how'd you guys meet?" She asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"College." Bree replied with a little smirk.

Elena grinned and turned to Damon with wide eyes. "You went to college?" She asked with a slight hint of awe.

I snorted and threw my head back. "Probably to harass college students." I mumbled out.

"I've been on a college campus, yes." Damon ignored me and smiled at Elena.

Bree smiled fondly before turning away from us, grabbing a rag and started wiping the bar again. "About twenty years ago, when I was a sweet, young freshman, I met this beautiful man—" She gestured at Damon as I pretended to throw up. "—and I fell in love." She put down the rag in front of me and Elena, leaning towards us. "And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody."

A secret. I glanced at the ceiling, trying to guess what her secret could be. She was obviously not a vampire. Then that must mean. "You're a witch." "She's a witch." Damon and I said at the same time. Damon leaned in to whisper to Elena while I muttered out loud, staring at Bree. At my guess, Damon and Bree turned to glance at me, somewhat impressed.

She grinned and picked up the rag again. "Changed my world, you know."

"I rocked your world." Damon corrected her, taking a swing of his drink.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Bree asked no one in particular, not really wanting an answer but more like voicing her own opinions. She sighed and turned away. The fondness in her eyes were gone, replaced by a cold hardness. "But mostly he's just a Walk-Away Joe." She looked far off into the distance with a fond smile but an empty gaze like she was remembering memories of a lifetime away. Memories of a youth that would never come back. I guess that was the downside of loving a vampire. I accidentally made eye contact with Damon as I fidgeted in my seat. Would Elena face the same thing if she continued down this path with Stefan?

Bree put her rag away, putting her hands on her hips and leaned towards Damon with a hostile look. "So, what is it that you want?" She asked with a cold look. Gone was the happy and nostalgic bartender. In her place stood a jaded and cold-hearted witch who was probably screwed over by Damon Salvator.

For a moment Damon didn't say anything. He gestured with his eyes towards Elena and me. Bree taking the hint walked away, leaving the three of us alone. Damon followed after her without hesitation. Seeing Damon gone and being free of him, Elena grabbed her phone from his jacket and told me she was going to call Jenna. I simply nodded and put my head down for a bit. There was still a slight buzz in my head. The pain had numbed a little but the buzzing was still there. It had faded a little but it was still there.

* * *

I walked over to a quiet and desolate area behind the bar, making sure I was alone. I brought my hand together, trying to muster all my energy together and envision an orb of light. I tried hard, pushing myself as hard as I could. But there was nothing. I huffed loudly and tried again. Nothing.

A loud choking sound escaped me as I took a step back and leaned on the back of the bar. The wooden wall felt cold. It was a hot day but I felt so cold. It wasn't Damon or a vampire that made me feel this way but I just felt empty. I didn't know why. Did I push myself too hard? Was this my punishment for not listening to Miss Sheila? I didn't know. My mind was a mess. The buzzing sound grew louder and louder, till it almost felt deafening.

"Huh." I swallowed heavily and took a step forward, shaking the buzzing sound off. Taking a deep breath, I brought my hands forward and put them in front of my face, side by side. I focused hard, closing my eyes and trying to envision a ball of light. Nothing. I tried again, this time with my eyes open."Come on." I muttered, staring hard at the thin air between my hands.

For a moment, there was nothing. Just when I was about to give up, the buzzing grew louder. Even louder then it was before. I felt like I would drown and lose myself in that noise. Breathing hard, I tried hard to ignore it. I pressed on and kept my focus. Just when I was about to give up and go back, a little spark appeared in between my hands. I let out a tired laugh out in relief.

As quickly as the spark had appeared, it disappeared fast. I bit my lip and kicked the ground in front of me in frustration. Shaking my head, I brought my hands together again, leaving a space between them, ready to try again. "...You're gonna burn yourself out at this rate." Bree's bored voice broke through my focus, almost making me jump. I turned around with widened eyes to stare at her. "May I?" She asked.

I didn't say anything. I was too shocked to react. Damn it. I was spotted. I was so sure, no one was gonna be here. Elena and Damon were busy, I thought Bree was as well. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward. "No." I replied, rejecting her help. "In fact, you saw nothing." I focused hard on her. "And you're going to leave me alone."

Bree's brown eyes flickered to amber for a second. I sighed in relief. That still worked. She dumbly nodded and started backing off. Turning around, she took a few steps away from where I stood before she stopped and swayed on her feet, before quickly catching herself from falling by grabbing on to a wooden column.

All of a sudden, she started laughing. "Took me by surprise, you did." She commented. She slowly turned around, regaining her bearings and striding towards me. "Now. Where was I?" She stared at me with a grin before blinking. "I asked if you wanted my help?" She repeated. I stared at her before slowly backing away and trying to act like I hadn't heard her. "...I can help you find what you are."

I paused and turned around to glare at her. "How do you know I don't know what I am?" I retorted.

"Well if you did, you wouldn't be out here struggling. Now, would you?" She bit back.

"You're Damon's ex." I remarked. "Forgive me for not trusting anyone related to him."

I rolled my eyes and tried leaving again. Walking past her, she grabbed my arms. "You trust his brother, though but you won't trust me."

Pulling back my arm from her, I folded my arms. "Stefan never welcomed Damon with open arms."

"You have a point." I threw her a mocking smile, knowing I was right and tried walking away. "But I despise him. He's a scum who took advantage of me when I was young." She grabbed my arms again. "I'm just trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes as I did. Don't trust Damon."

I snorted. "Yeah. Tell me something I don't know."

"Fine. I'll tell you something you don't know...for a price." She smiled sinisterly.

Standing up straighter, I stared at her with pursed lips. "What's the price?"

Her smile deepened. Warning sirens blared in my head. I really shouldn't be trusting her. "...A little bit of your blood." She tilted her head and slowly traced the lines in my hand, stopping to scratch the back of my hand, almost drawing blood.

I drew my hand back from her. "I'll think about it." I replied quietly. I glanced at my feet and scrunched up my face in concentration. "...What does Damon want with you? I'm sure this is not just a 'friendly' visit."

"Observant, aren't you?"

I shrugged and glanced at her. "I try."

Bree didn't say anything for a while. She turned away from me and mumbled something before turning back. "I can trust you?" She asked, her cold eyes piercing through me. "To stop him—if things go south." She added as an afterthought.

"You don't have to ask." I replied without thinking.

"Good." She took a step forward. "There's tomb in Mystic Falls, full of vampires—"

"—Damon's asking about this because?"

She glared at me for cutting her off. "Because of Katherine." Turning away from me, she leaned against the back of her bar and stared off into the distance. "Over a hundred years and it's still that bitch."

"If it makes you feel any better, she's not that great of a person. She is, as you said, a 'bitch'." I tried to cheer Bree up. I don't know why I bothered but I guess it was the part of me that sympathized with her.

She didn't say anything, letting my words mull in her head. "How do you know what Katherine's like?"

My eyes widened for a second before I composed myself and tried to think a decent lie. "I've...heard things...about her."

"From the Salvatore brothers?"

"And family journals." I added, trying to make my lie more believable. It wasn't technically a lie but it wasn't the truth. There was a possibility that Bree knew what I was. If she really did know what I was, she'd probably know my weaknesses. I still wasn't sure if she was a friend or a threat.

Bree nodded, understandingly. "Damon wants to get Katherine out of the tomb."

"If he gets Katherine then what about the others, won't they—"

"—also get out. Yes." She turned to stare at me before she grabbed my hands. "Twenty seven vampire will be let loose onto your little town if Damon gets his way."

"Twenty seven. Oh—" I stumbled back. "They're supposed to be dead—burned to death." I played along, acting like I knew nothing at all.

"You're aware of Emily Bennett, I assume." I nodded, wordlessly. "She spelled the tomb to protect them. To save Katherine, she needed to—"

"—save them all. I know. " I breathed out. "But doesn't he need a crystal and the crystal is gone."

Bree raised her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes. "...There's another way...but I haven't told him that yet." I opened my mouth to ask her for more. "A Bennett witch. The spell was casted by one and it can be removed by one."

"Thank you." I stood back, my mouth dry and hands sweaty. Twenty seven vampires. "I have to go. Excuse me." I pushed past Bree and went further, somewhere else. Walking away, I tossed my phone in my hands contemplating my next move.

Ring. Ring.

I rolled my eyes ready to take out my batteries and put my phone away when I stopped. It was uncle Nate. Damn it. Pursing my lips and clearing my throat. I answered the phone. "Why the hell are you in Atlanta and not in school?"

"I can ex—wait. How did you—oh my god! You guys didn't!"

"We did it for your own good." He tried to justify himself.

"You all bugged my phone!"

"It's a tracking device not a bug. We can't hear your calls or read your texts but we just know your location."

I huffed loudly and gasped in betrayal. "Un-freaking-believable. Wait. Does mom and dad know where I am?"

"Just me...and Dan. He's covering for you."

"Whatever. Do me a favor and keep an eye on the Bennetts." I checked my nails, bored.

There were sounds of keys being pressed on the other side, loud typing and paper rustling. "Uh-huh. Why?" He replied, distracted.

I bit my cheek in frustration. "Damon's trying to open the tomb."

Something dropped on the other side and then silence followed. "...What!"

I covered my ears in pain to block out uncle Nate's complaints. "Yeahh, yeah. I know." I looked around and realized I had been gone for too long. Damon would get suspicious and Elena would be worried if I was gone too long. "I have to go back."

"'Kay. I'll give Sheila a heads up. See you at home. Want me to cover for Elena as well? Put in a good word to Jenna etc."

"Sure. If she believes you." I replied with a grin, hanging up and heading back inside.

* * *

I twirled my straw around the milkshake while I listened to Elena try and make sense of her history. Honestly, my mind was already too full to even think about Elena and her birth secrets. I was too worried about the tomb opening and Katherine. I also had my abilities failing on me to worry about. I loved Elena, don't get me wrong. She was one of my best friends but this was clearly something bigger than her past. But then again, everyone has different concerns.

"—say that I'm descended from Katherine...does that make me part vampire?" Elena asked both me and Damon.

"No." "Vampires can't procreate." Damon and I replied at the same time. My answer was short, snappy and straight to the point. I sounded so bored. I mean no one can blame me. It was so obvious, you had to die to become a vampire. Vampires are just living dead. It was obvious.

Elena glanced at me to elaborate, not really trusting Damon to answer honestly. Sighing, I stuffed a fry inside my mouth."Vampires can't have kids." Elena stared at me in confusion. I looked around me discreetly before leaning towards Elena. "They're dead, 'Lena." I added, dropping my voice to a whisper.

"But we love to try." Damon added with a smirk. I narrowed my eyes and gave him a look to be more serious. He straightened up, dropping the smirk and dusting his hands off. "No, if you were related, it would mean Katherine had a child before she was turned."

Katherine had a child before she was turned. That made sense. I took a glance at Elena and thought back to Lydia's memories. They were definitely related. "Did Stefan think that he could use me to replace her?" Elena asked, her voice faltered as she did so. She gnawed the bottom of her lips and looked to Damon for confirmation.

"I don't think he wanted to but your face might be his type or something." I tried to reassure her.

Damon on the other hand decided to add fuel to the fire. "Kinda creepy if you ask me." He remarked with a grin.

I scoffed and let go of a fry to lean over to him. "Well...no one asked you." I bit back with a fierce glare.

"She was literally staring at me when she was talking." He retorted.

"And she probably didn't want you to actually say anything." I replied with a mocking grin of my own. Elena looked between us both and shook her head before diving into her own food.

Without a word, she removed her pickles and slid them to my plate. I smiled a little unconsciously when I saw it. She always did hate pickles. When we were kids she used to give me her pickles. The memories of our childhood were sweet and nostalgic but it was a lifetime away now. "Come on, what? You don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" Damon complained, stealing the pickles of my plate.

"Hey, that was on my plate." I pouted while Damon smirked in annoyance. God I hated him.

Elena rolled her eyes and passed me some of her fries before glancing at Damon. She watched wordlessly as he scarfed down the pickles that he stole in curiosity. "How can you even eat? If technically you're supposed to be…"

"Dead?" Damon laughed. "It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, my body functions pretty normally."

"This nice act. Is any of it real?"

Damon opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Bree. "Here you go." She slid a bottle of beer to Damon. She gave me a knowing look but her eyes were still cold. I don't know why but I had a very hard time, trusting her. There was something off about her.

"I'll have one too." Elena spoke out.

I turned to stare at her with wide eyes. "Are you sure?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Time out, remember? For five minutes? Yeah, well that five minutes is going to need a beer."

With an amused smile, Bree turned away, only to return with another bottle of beer. She handed Elena the bottle and without even waiting, Elena took a swing. I pursed my lips and leaned forward. "Can I have something stronger?" I asked instead of a plain beer like Elena and Damon. I just wanted to forget whatever was going on.

Bree gave me a cryptic smile before she gave me a bottle of soda. "I'd rather you don't have alcohol in your system." She slid it to me. "If you know what I mean…" She added walking away.

Damon glanced at me and grabbed the soda, checking it. "What did she mean?" He offered to give me back the bottle of soda.

I swallowed heavily and avoided looking into his eyes. "I don't know." Shrugging, I took back the bottle, got up and walked off to look for Bree.

Finding her behind the bar was kind of hard. I had to dodge some drunk guys to get to the back of the bar. She was busy working behind the back like I knew she would. But I could tell she felt me creep behind her. I leaned against the side of a table and stared at her hard. "Is my blood that important?" I asked quietly, only for her and me to hear.

Turning around, she smirked. "Well, hun. Blood is the only way, I can truly be sure of what you really are." She replied in the same quiet but mysterious tone. "...But I guess I can make an exception for tonight." She handed me a shot of tequila. "Drink up."

"That's it?" I questioned out-loud, reluctantly taking the glass from her. "You made such a big show back there where you wouldn't take my...blood if there was alcohol in my system but now...you're giving me...tequila?" I tilted my head in confusion and stared at the shot glass in my hand.

"I changed my mind." She simply replied, taking out a rag and walking over to the front of the bar. "I hope you make yours up. Especially if you really wanna know what you are."

I stood there for a while before starting to head back. The bar was still kind of empty in the day but daylight was fading fast. I stopped and jumped back a little in surprise as Damon stood in front of me. He gave me a curious look while he twirled a bottle of beer in his hands. Shaking my head, I attempted to walk past him. Only for him to grab my arm, stopping me from taking another step. "Why does Bree want your blood?" He questioned in a low voice, making sure no one but me would hear him.

I sucked in a breath and avoided his gaze. "I don't know." I lied again.

Damon chuckled quietly as he pulled me closer. "Come on, firefly. I know you can come up with something more...believable." He took a swig of the beer and gave me an unimpressed look. "So what's the truth?"

"I'll tell you the truth if you tell me what we're really here for." I raised my eyebrows. I knew what he was here for but I wanted to hear it from him for confirmation

He huffed and held out the bottle, a little far from my reach. "Okay." He nodded. "I want to find a way to get Katherine back. Bree's gonna help me. Now—" He gestured to me with his free hand. "Your turn."

Rolling my eyes, I glared at him. I bit back my pride and freed myself from his grips. "For your information—" I leaned towards him with a smirk, distracting him long enough to grab the bottle from his hands. "—Bree offered to help me find what I am." I finished, emptying out Damon's beer and handing him back the empty glass bottle before walking off to find Elena.

* * *

Shot glasses lined up in front of the bar counter as a big crowd gathered around. "Ready..." Bree leaned in as everyone, including me, grabbed a shot glass. We waited in anticipation for Bree's next words. "Go!"

The minute she said 'go' we all shot down the glasses but Elena was the fastest. "That's three!" She grinned and twirled around, shaking her head in joy. "Aw, do you need a bib?" She mocked Damon.

"Sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol." Damon retorted.

"Whatever. All right. Who's next? Another round, Bree." Bree poured her another drink and poured me one as well.

I shot mine down and stole Elena's as well. "I'm cutting you off before you do something stpid."

"Okay mom. Are you even drinking or are you just taking shots of water?" Weirdly enough I felt nothing. It was strange. I used to be a lightweight but now it was different. "How are you not drunk?"

"I don't know. But you're drunk." I replied.

I shivered slightly when a familiar chill passed through me. There was another vampire here. I got up and looked around for anything suspicious. A woman remarked something that I didn't care enough to listen to. Elena grabbed me by my arm and spun me around. "I am not even drunk. My tolerance is, like, way up here."

"Whatever you say." I glanced around. "Look I'm gonna get some air." I walked off before Elena or Damon could say anything else.

Opening the back door, I smoothly crept outside into the night. The cool night air gently blew past me, messing up my hair. I was gone out, far enough for no one to find me but not too far where I'd get lost. I wish I was like Elena who could easily forget everything. Then again she was drunk and for whatever reason, I was not.

My gaze dropped down to my hands again. I know I was supposed to not worry but I couldn't help it. Not when my powers were going haywire and Damon was scheming. I sighed and brought my hands together in front of me again, concentrating hard. Nothing. Unlike last time, I didn't bother to try again. Instead, I took out my phone and quickly searched for a number.

"Ava?" Stefan greeted me from the other side. "Is everything okay? Did Damon do something to you and Elena? Where are you both?"

I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaws. "First of all, we're fine. Second of all, we're in Georgia, Atlanta—" I looked around to check I was alone. "—in a bar. It's called Bree's bar. Can't miss it, has a huge sign outside."

"I'm on my way. Don't go any—"

"Actually. I rather you don't show up." I cut him off, running my fingers through my dark hair. "Look, Elena found out about Katherine. And before you try to justify yourself. It was a shit move not to tell 'Lena about her and the fact she looked like your and Damon's psychotic ex. So back off and give her a day to clear her mind. When she's back, you tell her **everything** and I mean everything."

Stefan sighed loudly. "You're right." I closed my eyes in relief. Thank god, Stefan was so understanding and chill. "So what's on your mind?"

"Right. You know the tomb and what's underneath it?" I went straight to the point without hesitating.

"I do."

"Good. Damon's trying to open it to get Katherine out."

"He stopped trying after Emily destroyed the crystal."

"Except there's another way." I opened my eyes and pursed my lips. "I can't tell you much. I'm sorry but protect Bonnie and her grandma."

Before Stefan could say anything else, I hung up and threw my head back. I stared up at the sky, it was a starless night just like that night. The memories from the crash flashed into my head, almost causing me to grip my head in pain. Blinking twice, I pushed them out of my mind.

* * *

When I got back, the bar was almost empty. I knew it was late but weren't bars supposed to be busy during this time. Carefully, I walked inside just as the last person walked out. Bree was still tending to the bar. She was picking up empty bottles and used glasses. With some hesitation, I went in deeper into the bar. There was really no one. Elena was gone. Damon had also disappeared.

My eyes scanned the bar in confusion. There really was no one here. This was weird. Taking my eyes off Bree, I tried to call Elena to check up on her. Her phone went straight to voicemail. Strange. "Looking for your friend and Damon." Bree stood in front of me, the moment I turned around, making me jump. "Sorry, you seemed lost in your thoughts."

I nodded wordlessly. "Have you seen them?" I asked, putting some distance between me and Bree.

"No. I haven't." She replied, turning away from me. "...Have you decided on whether you want to..."

"No, I haven't decided. Maybe if you tell me where Elena or Damon is, I'd change my mind."

Bree breathed out and stared at me with an amused grin. She leaned against the counter of the bar and stared at me, assessing me, checking if I was a threat or not. "Elena will be back soon."

"—What about Damon?" I questioned, noticing she had not mentioned him. I didn't really care for Damon but he did save my life. I owed him and I hated owing people. "It's funny how you just didn't mention him."

"Thought you didn't care 'bout him." She remarked, her hands on her hips. "He's probably ran off with your friend or something." _"or Dead."_

I stood up straight when I heard the last few words from Bree. Her mouth didn't utter them but I knew she was thinking it. Taking a deep breath, I decided to play along. "Elena doesn't like Damon, she wouldn't go anywhere with—" I paused when my phone started ringing. "—I'm sorry—" I cut the phone off, only for it to ring again. Huffing, I turned away from Bree and dropped my voice to a whisper before picking up the phone. "Hey, Jenna. Look now is really not a good time."

"...Look Ava, I trust you. Probably more than I trust Elena. You're a smart and responsible kid but this is taking it too far. Where are you two?" Jenna almost shouted, her voice distraught.

Clenching my jaws, I rubbed my forehead to ease the oncoming headache. "We're just spending some girl time at my house. Don't worry about it."

"Funny how Nate said the same thing but when I called Elena, it sounded like you guys were at a bar or a party. And when I asked her about where she was. She was drunk and just cut me off without even hanging up."

"What did you just say?"

"She cut me off without hanging up."

My eyes widened when I realized something happened to her. "Is everything okay?" Bree asked with clear concern dripping off her voice. It was fake. I knew it was. _"Lee needs to hurry up and finish Damon off." "She's getting too suspicious. Why'd she have to come back now? Could've got her blood and got rid of Damon." "Is there something wrong? She's just staring at me. Did she find out?"_

I blinked, trying to clear my head of Bree's thoughts before turning my attention back to Jenna. "I'll chase her up and let you know what's going on—" Jenna tried to protest. "—I really have to go." Without another word, I hung up and stared at Bree. "Where are they? And don't play dumb." Bree didn't reply. _"Stupid girl. She really thinks I'm gonna tell her where Damon is after what he did to Lexi. Huh, what a dumb_ _b—"_ She just shrugged wordlessy. "I'm not stupid." I remarked, overwhelmed by Bree's thoughts. "Okay then, let me try again—" I stared at her hard. My gaze burned through her head. "Where are they?"

For a moment nothing happened. Then Bree's dark orbs shined a bright amber that almost blinded me for a second before it went back to her usual brown. "They are at the nearby brewery." She replied in a daze, unaware of anything.

I nodded and pulled my cardigan around me tighter. I walked away from her, only to stop at the door. "Oh, I'm not gonna give you my blood. Not now or ever." I stated before pushing the door of the door and running towards where Elena and Damon were.

* * *

Stumbling across the dark roads, I pushed my legs and tried to run as fast as I could. I panted and gasped as I did so. Sometimes, I wish I had the stamina of a vampire. I stopped when I got to a metal fence gate. Getting down on my feet, I examined the lock on the fence. Carefully, I took the lock into my hand when it fell apart in my hands. It was already unlocked. I removed the lock and stepped inside the place.

Slowly, I crept inside, making sure to be quiet. I didn't know what I was walking into. I nearly tripped several times, on my way to Damon and Elena. Taking a deep breath, I brought my hands together and held in place. Come on, I begged myself to focus. Slowly, a small orb of light started to form. It fizzed, fading in and out of my view. But to my relief, it didn't disappear. It was static but it was something.

With something to protect me, I carefully crept behind a wall and watched from a distance as Damon was kicked and shoved to the ground. He groaned weakly in pain, clearly being taken off guard by this new vampire. Elena begged the other vampire to stop and spare Damon while the other vampire ignored her pleas. I clenched my jaws and started to contemplate whether or not I should just walk in, take Elena and get out. It wasn't a hard choice. Damon had already killed so many. But he saved your life. A voice in my head whispered. God, I hated how logical I sometimes had to be. Stefan would also be very sad. Screw it. I'm probably either gonna regret this.

"—He tried to kill my girlfriend. What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?!" The other vampire howled in pain as he kicked Damon. I almost didn't want to stop him now.

"Nothing." Damon grunted in pain.

Elena ran down from where she was to stand a little closer to where the confrontation was going on. "I don't understand." She said, still trying to placate the situation.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon tried to kill her. Got it?" So this was Lee, Lexi's boyfriend. As soon as he said this, he disappeared. Reappearing with a bat, he bashed Damon's head with it. Damon screamed out in pain as the bat went down.

"Lexi? Lexi was your girlfriend? She told me about you. She said that you were human."

Swallowing my fear, I took a step out of the shadows. Still being careful not to let go in case the light would disappear. "She turned you." I spoke out. The moment, I stepped out, the lights started flickering but the orb grew brighter. Sparks flew near an electric fence, making it useless. Elena's head snapped to stare at me along with Lee and Damon. I had their attention now.

"If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever." He gave a sad smile and stared at the sky as some tears rolled down his face. "And I almost lost her forever because of him." Lee picked up the bat and started to hit Damon one more time.

Elena leaned closer and tried to stop him. "She loved...loves you. She said that, 'When it's real, you can't walk away'." I knew this was not going to work. He was clearly newly turned and from what I remembered of newborn vampires, they were highly emotional.

"Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make." And just like I knew it wouldn't work. It didn't. Lee turned away from us and disappeared again. Only to come back with some matches.

"Don't. Don't, please, don't hurt him…"

Lee lit the match and stared at us. His gaze piercing mine. It was almost he knew I understood him. Unfortunately, my mind was on the other side. "I'm doing you a favor."

"No. you're not." I called out. "You're doing yourself a favor." The ball of light grew as I stepped closer to both of the vampires. "I know Lexi. I saved her life. And if you know Lexi. Y'know she wouldn't like this."

"You're Ava." Lee flashed in front of me to get a better look of me. "You risked your life to save Lexi. I'm grateful for what you did. Thank you." He turned away and flashed back to Damon. "But he needs to pay. Don't you want him to pay. I'm sure he's done things to make you suffer."

"He has. But this is about Lexi. She lived." I retorted, glaring at him.

More dark veins started appearing under his eyes, making me almost shrink back into the shadows. But I held my ground and stayed rooted where I was. "She almost died." He screamed out, kicking Damon.

"But she didn't." I strut towards Lee, standing in between him and Damon. "Look do you see this." I gestured with my head to the flickering and fizzing ball of light between my hands. "It can turn a vampire into a pile of dust within seconds." I didn't actually know if it could. I just knew it could burn them. "The last thing I wanna do right now is hurt someone Lexi loves. So back off. Or else."

Elena decided to speak out again. "Please Lexi loves you. Don't do this." She added. I gave a side-eye to Elena and sighed. It was almost like she sometimes forgot she was human with zero self defence skills. I was glad, I wasn't that selfless.

For a moment Lee said nothing. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself down. Stopping he turned to stare at both Elena and me. Gone were the dark veins under his eyes, replaced with a more human look. His eyes still red with rage, he picked up Damon like a rag doll and threw him against a building, before stepping away.

"Thank you." Elena breathed out in relief as she thanked him. The moment, I noticed the threat was over. I collapsed the orb, slowly intertwining my hands as I did so. I stumbled back a little when it was gone, the toll of using too much of my energy finally getting to me. I turned back to look at Elena and Lee still talking to each other. More like Lee glaring at Elena.

Lee scoffed and glared at Elena. "It wasn't for you." He bit out. Picking up the metal baseball bat off the ground, he started to make his leave, only to stop when he got to me. "Be careful." He glanced behind him to stare at Damon on the ground. "You know what he's like."

I gave Lee a tired smile and nodded weakly. "I know. For someone like him, dying is easy."

Lee smiled and placed a hand on my shoulders. "Thank you for saving her. She means a lot to me." The minute he disappeared, Elena rushed to Damon's side as I hobbled over weakly, still beat over using too much of my energy.

Damon groaned in pain as Elena and I helped him to his feet. He complained about being taken by surprise and started making plans for revenge. Now and then Elena would try to shut him up while I simply rolled my eyes. I let go when I started feeling a little dizzy. Elena had to almost drag me to Damon's car.

* * *

"You okay?" Elena asked, leaning down on me with a water bottle held up.

I nodded, stretching a little. "Just went a little overboard there." I replied with a small reassuring smile.

"A little? I almost thought you were going to blow him up." She opened the back door of the car and got in. "I was worried..."

"I'm fine." I cut her off before she could go on and on. I loved her but she had a tendency to coddle someone to death. "A little confession. I've never actually killed a vampire in my life so I probably wouldn't have gone through it."

Elena laughed a little in surprise, pushing herself forward to give me a look of disbelief. "No way. Here I was thinking I was best friends with Buffy the vampire slayer."

"Ugh. Let's not..." I laughed along before starting to cough. She sprang into action, trying to find the first aid fit from my bag. "I'm good. I'm good, just tired." I stopped her and opened the passenger door. "I'm gonna go check on Damon and what's taking him so long. I wanna go back already." I got out and leaned to stare at Elena. "Call me if anything happens."

Without another word, I walked off. Really, I didn't need much. I just needed some fresh air. I already started feeling much better, the moment I was outside under a starless sky. Cold night breeze blew past me, making me shiver. It was nice to be alone with my thoughts sometimes. Without a care in the world, I skipped to the entrance of the bar. I paused at the steps of the empty bar when a bad feeling took over me.

Carefully, I pushed the door to the bar open. I froze in my spot the moment the door opened. On the other side, Damon stood in front of Bree. With a cold look, he reached into her chest and pulled out her heart. It beated for a few seconds before Damon threw it down and stepped on it. Bree collapsed onto the floor, unmoving and dead.

I made a choking sound as the bar no longer appeared before me.

 _Instead I was on a road near a forest, laying in the wreckage of a crash. Isaac stared down at me with his cruel forest green eyes as his fangs flashed down. Before he could do anything, his heart was ripped out and crushed as he crumbled down to the wreckage, dead_.

I blinked and I was back at the bar, staring at Damon with wide eyes and a tear stained face. He made a move towards me as I swayed. In shock, I tried to hold on to the door but slipped and fell on to the floor. My eyes never left Bree's corpse. It would phase in and out with Isaac's corpse as I blinked furiously. "You weren't meant to see that. Y—" Damon crouched down and blocked the view with his body. Without a word, I got up. I pushed his hands off me and walked back to his car. I needed a break. This was a long day.

* * *

"Why are you so obsessed with Katherine?" I questioned out-loud. It was only me and Damon now. Elena was left at the boarding house. I thought I'd take this time to maybe get to know what I was dealing with. "I'd understand if she was a great person but she wasn't." I added.

"And she speaks." I glared at him and he shut up. Damon didn't say anything else for a while. I watched with anticipation as he turned off the radio and clenched his jaws. "Your family journals are very much biased."

"-Not really but whatever."

"How about this…I tell you my tragic backstory and you…" He gestured with his head. "...tell me yours. Deal?"

I scoffed. "I don't have a tragic backstory. I'm not Elena or Caroline. I had a pretty normal…" I stopped when I remembered that I came from a family of vampire hunters. "-well somewhat normal life till now."

"Says the girl who had nightmares while being knocked out." He bit back with a smirk. My eyes narrowed and I glared at him. "Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right. You're hiding something. Elena told me you had a mini-panic attack when you crashed into that vampire. And there was also your mini-breakdown at the bar back there." He paused for dramatic effect. "Now why would someone with a 'somewhat normal life', react like that to a vampire in the middle of a road. Unless…"

"Fine!" I screamed out, wanting him to shut up already. "But the deal still stands. I tell you mine and you tell me yours."

"I'm a man of my word."

"We shall see Mr Salvatore." I replied, not caring if Lydia's habits seeped into me at that moment. Taking a deep breath, I recounted everything I remembered from that week, leading up to that night.

Damon didn't say anything, letting me carry on. No snarky comments, no side eyes. Nothing. He was surprisingly respectful. But his reactions to certain events was what took my attention. Now and then, he would try to correct me. Like why would he do that, unless he was there. He couldn't be there. If Damon was there then that night would have no survivors.

When I finished, I looked away and stared out the window at the sleepy streetlights, some flickering. "That was…something." Damon commented. "Do you remember anything from that night?"

"Not much. There was the crash." I shook a little when I remembered that night. "When I woke up in the hospital. No one else remembered much either so there's that."

He stole a glance at me as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "So you don't remember what happened to the vampire?" He asked. I shook my head. I really didn't. "Having a psychotic vampire ex must have been hard. I'm surprised you had one. Since you're pretty anti-vamp to me."

"You and me, both." I replied, my gaze still on the road. "He wasn't a vampire when we were dating."

"He must have died somewhere between the time you last saw him. It sucks."

"Yeah...guess we both have a psychotic vampire ex." I breathed out before turning to stare at him. "Your turn. So why Katherine."

He grinned before closing his eyes, opening them to glance at me. "Katherine was special. She was smart, beautiful, charming and wicked. She had everyone wrapped around her fingers. She was unattainable."

I snorted. "Doesn't explain your infatuation with her." I remarked with an amused grin.

"Getting there." He paused. His grin now gone, replaced with a sad smile. "Katherine was the first person to see me for what I was. She was the first person to make me feel loved. As cheesy and tragic as it sounds. I didn't have a rosy upbringing. My father was a dick who only cared for his reputation and occasionally Stefan. Mother died early. So there's that." He stopped. "You probably find it pathetic."

"I do." I replied without a care. I still didn't care for Katherine. Maybe I sympathized with him a little but Katherine was still a bitch and I would only change my judgement after I met her. "But you should really move on. If she really loved you, she would not have played both you and Stefan but that's just my opinion."

Damon stared at the road wistfully, letting my words mull over in his head. "Lydia, your ancestor said that to me once." He remarked. "You probably don't know or maybe you do but—"

"—she was engaged to you. I know. The breakdown of it caused a rift between the Salvatores and Fitzroys and for some reason the Lockwoods which exists still to this day." I cut him off, reciting a part of my family history with ease.

He breathed out tiredly. "Right."

I turned to glance at him. "Drop me off here." I gestured to the road. It was a few blocks away from the Fitzroy manor but I would damned before anyone in my household saw Damon Salvatore, a vampire and a Salvatore drop me off. It was insulting not to mention, I would get grounded for life.

"We're not even close to the manor." He bit back, a little annoyed.

"It's fine. I wanna walk. I need to clear my head. "Also we're even. You saved my life and I saved yours. We don't owe each other." I added in without any hint of emotion. I started opening the door when Damon stopped the car, abruptly. I got out and started walking away when he lowered the windows. He poked his head out and called out to me, saying something but I didn't hear anything. My mind was too much of a mess to pay attention to anything.

* * *

Absentmindedly, I brushed my hair as I stared at my reflection. Damon's words echoed inside my head. Memories of that night still haunted me. Though I admit I had gaps in my memories, it didn't mean I was completely clueless about what really happened. I didn't lie when I told Damon I don't remember most of that week but I didn't exactly tell him the truth. I barely knew him, I shouldn't have to trust him at all.

A few images of the aftermath flashed across my mind as I stood up, numbly putting down my hairbrush. Carefully, I turned around and I lifted my shirt. I stared down at my smooth shoulders. The wounds from that night were all but gone. I dropped my shirt and walked to my bed but not before turning off the lights. With a deep sigh, I laid down and stared at the ceiling. Before I knew it, my eyelids started to feel heavy and droop. The night of that crash, still fresh in my mind.

_Slipping in and out of my consciousness, I briefly caught a glimpse of the aftermath of the crash. The van was split into two. Max and Devin were unconscious on one side. One of Max's arms were twisted to a side in a painful angle while Devin looked mostly unharmed except for a shard of glass sticking out of his shoulder._

_I painfully turned from my position. Someone had shielded me from the damage of the crash. With widened eyes, I sobered up as I realized Asher's body draped over mine and his sister. "Asher!" I hoarsely whispered while gently pushing him off of me as tears slid down my face. He stirred awake, moaning and groaning in pain as he did so. I sighed in relief as I realized he was alive._

_Scarlett was soon up and helped me carefully put Asher down on a glass free floor of the van. Her face was touched but when she turned her head, I could see dried blood gathered at the back. Her hands and arms had small scratches from glass shattering. "Ash, come on please be okay?" She begged her brother in a tiny voice. "First aid?" She asked, staring at me with her wide grey eyes piercing through mine. I hobbled over to my backpack which had fallen not far from the van, taking out the first aid kit. I handed it to her._

_In no time, she got to work on her brother's wounds. When that was done, she and I helped to dress Max's wounds while Asher helped Devin. Both of the boys had now awoken. I paused when a horrible realization hit me. Hanna. I looked around each half of the van for any sign of her. But she was gone. "Whe... where's Hanna?" I questioned out loud, my voice hoarse and dry, my eyes wide in horror._

_A crazed laughter echoed throughout the roads as we all stopped our search. "This...this was too easy." Snap. Snap. Sounds of camera shatters sent shivers down my spine. "Poor Hanna." I had almost forgotten about Isaac. From the other side of the road, Isaac stood with his stupid camera as he snapped pictures of our helplessness. Asher pushed himself off the ground and stood in front of us._

_Clutching my bleeding head, I begged and pleaded for Isaac to leave us alone but he didn't go away, instead he stood there laughing maniacally. That sick bastard. One step at a time, he approached us slowly. But before he could attack us, another vampire flashed in front of him and ripped his heart out._

_That was the last thing, I remembered when I faded out from blood loss and the adrenaline wearing off. No one really remembered what had happened that night. All we remembered was the car crash, Max losing his arm. Hanna's disappearance. Isaac's second death. And my first d_ —

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: A glimpse into Ava's past, kinda shows why she's weary of a relationship right now and how she became the way she is. It was kinda sad to write about especially her friends pre-Mystic Falls. RIP Hanna. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter and stay safe.
> 
> Edited: 29/12/20 - Quintin is now Isaac


	13. Blackboard Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a vampire on the loose, invited inside the Gilbert house. While the Salvatore brothers hunt down the runaway vampire, Ava tackles her first school dance as she's slowly drawn more and more into the past grudges haunting Mystic Falls.

Chapter 12: Blackboard Jungle

* * *

I crossed my legs and sat in a meditating pose on my soft freshly made bed. Straight across me, Elena walked back and forth with a range of conflicted emotions all displayed on her face. Now and then, she would loudly sigh and turn to stare at me to try and make sense of what she had found a few days ago.

Her revelation of her birth made her move in with me for a while. Well, it was like two days but still. Not that I minded. My house was big, the problem was that Jenna would drop by every few hours to check up on her and say how sorry she was. And every single time, I or uncle Nate would have to personally tell her some stupid lie instead of telling her that Elena didn't want to talk to her. That was the problem. Uncle Nate had also resorted to complain that his friendship with Jenna was dying because of this and it totally had nothing to do with his constant disappearances on her. Although Elena did go over to Stefan's for a bit, coming back to 'Fitzroy Manor', only at Stefan's insistence that it was safer. He was right. My house was arguably safer.

I rolled my eyes and uncrossed my legs, laying down on my side. I got up a little, putting my right hand on my cheek for support to stare at Elena with a bored expression. "You're going to drill holes in my floor—and it's polished rosewood." I exclaimed boredly. Elena stopped pacing and quickly apologised and took a seat on one of the armchairs in my room, folding her arms around herself as she did so. "...Aren't you being a little dramatic?" I asked, checking my freshly manicured nails.

She scoffed in response. "Dramatic? Ava, Jenna and my parents lied to me. I'm not a Gilbert. I'm not being dramatic..." She trailed off, biting her lips and scrunching her face in deep thought.

"You're also gonna get wrinkles at this rate if you keep making that face. Wrinkles are not cute." I got up from my bed and reached over to the night stand to grab my rose colored water bottle.

"My looks are the least of my worries, Ava." She bit back, rocking back and forth.

Katherine's psychotic face flashed through my mind. "Well I would argue..." I took a swing of water and dabbed my mouth dry. "Anyways, how do you know you're not a Gilbert? Because you're adopted?"

Elena got up and strolled over to my bed, crashing into it, flat. She got up and folded her arms against herself again. I took a seat next to her without a word. "I'm adopted. The chances of me being a Gilbert is impossible—"

"—You don't know that."

"Yes. I do." She retorted with a sad smile. "Come on. What are the chances that mom and dad—no Miranda and Grayson took me in from another Gilbert family and why would **they** give me away. It doesn't make sense..." She looked down and fiddled with her hands. "It also doesn't make sense that my birth certificate says something else and the truth is..." She sighed, too tired to finish her words.

I pursed my lips and debated in my head whether or not to point out the fact her father was a doctor and doctors can change medical documents to their liking. There was also the fact that on our family archival records, it listed Elena as a Gilbert and my family had deep connections. With my decision made, I decided to speak out. "...I mean your dad was a doctor. Your boyfriend's a vampire. One of your best friends is a witch. And I'm...something. Anything is possible at this point."

For a moment she didn't say anything. "...None of this makes sense. Maybe I am a Gilbert but then who are my parents."

"Do you really wanna find out?"

"What?" She breathed out and stared at me incredulously. "What kind of question is that? I need to know. I need to know how Katherine and I are related and why my real parents gave me up."

I sucked in a breath and stared at the ceiling. "I don't know if it's just me but I've just got a bad feeling. Like are you ready to know the truth. Emotionally and physically prepared..." I got up and leaned down at my vanity table, staring at my reflection. "For all you know, this could be your pandora's box."

Elena said nothing for a while, letting my words sink in. From the reflection of my mirror, I could her face as a rage of conflicted emotions passed through her again. She snorted and a slow smile spread across her face. "And you call me dramatic." She rolled her eyes and gathered her clothes into her backpack. "I think I'm gonna head back tonight."

"Being dramatic is like my thing...and Caroline's but don't tell her, I think I pull it off better than her." I replied with a wink before starting to help her pack up. "Also try to find time to talk to Jenna about this."

"Oh no. I'm not goi—"

I grabbed her by the shoulders, cutting her off and looked into her warm brown orbs with a fierce but determined look in my eyes. "Elena Marie Gilbert, stop being a goddamn prideful coward and go find answers that you need yourself."

"But Jenna—"

"No buts." I sighed and dusted my skirt, picking myself off the ground. "I have to go find an appropriate outfit for the dance and then check in with the other student council members about the dance. Kill me now."

Elena snickered and stuck out her tongue. "That's what you get for trying to do everything."

"We'll see who gets the last laugh when I get accepted to my dream colleges." I retorted, sticking out my tongue.

Elena laughed and started rummaging through her backpack again. "Oh before I forget. Stefan got this for everyone." She held up a silver-colored bracelet. "Sorry it's a cheap metal bracelet. But there's vervain in it." She gestured to the bracelet and gently swung it.

I carefully inspected it and took a glance at Elena. She looked happier and hopeful that with vervain, her relationship with Stefan would improve. Gingerly, I took the bracelet and brought it close to my face. Within an instant, a citrus-like scent hit my senses. It was definitely vervain. Guess the Salvatores did continue growing that herb. Carefully, I handed her the bracelet back and shook my head. "Give it to Jenna. I don't need it."

"I have one for Jenna. What do you mean you don't need it? Come on, Ava. It's for your own good."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "And I don't need it...I have this." I gestured to my neck. On my neck lay my family heirloom, the bloodstone necklace. "This is all I need. Not to mention, vervain draws unnecessary attention to me."

Elena let out a deep breath and made a face. She placed her hands up in the air to show she had surrendered. Just as she was about to say anything else, uncle Nate knocked and stuck out his head from the doorway to let Elena know that Stefan had come to pick her up. He left as soon as he came with a little wave goodbye, he was gone. I assumed he went back to the library to finish his essays. With a shy smile, Elena nodded and gave me a tight hug before running downstairs with her bag swung on her back. I made a disgusted face. I hate love sometimes.

Without hesitation, I walked over to the second floor sitting room and stood by the large floor length windows overlooking the huge driveway to the manor. In silence, I watched as Stefan let Elena in. He caught me watching as he nodded his head and threw a bright smile in greeting before driving away to the Gilbert house. I did return the smile, banishing the idea of being hostile to Stefan elsewhere. He was the good one, I repeated in my head for god knows what time.

The moment they were gone, I retreated back to my room relieved that they had made up. With a smile on my face, I skipped to the attic. I badly needed to find a costume before the 50s dance. I groaned as the thought passed through my head. I should've ignored my mom and ordered one instead of wearing one of great-grandma Helena's old dresses. Now I was stuck with the tedious task of sorting through old clothes.

Carefully, I climbed up the sturdy wooden attic stairs. The stairs eerily creaked and groaned as I slowly climbed them up. My grip on the railing tight, in case I fell. With one last step, I climbed straight into the fairly clean but still somewhat dusty attic. Dust particles gently floated in the air in front of the small stream of little sunlight peeking through the small window on the top. I stood in the entrance of the attic, squeezing my eyes shut and scrunched up my face as some dust gently blew towards me.

Achoo.

I sneezed. Covering my nose with my hand, I fumbled around the attic for the string to turn on the damned lights. I found the string and tugged at it. In an instant, light flooded the huge attic. Blinking tiredly, I took in the somewhat tidy nature of the attic. I breathed out in relief seeing all of the old furniture neatly pushed to one side and covered with old dusty white cloths while other oddities were sorted meticulously in large plastic translucent boxes, clearly labelled. Each of the boxes were labelled with their contents while being safely stacked upon each other.

Hands on my hips, I nodded at myself. I was determined to find a suitable outfit for today's dance. Whether it was from great-grandma Helen's closet or great-aunt Penelope and Joanne's. It didn't matter. I just needed to quickly grab a decent but dress-code friendly maybe something to my taste and get the hell out. Staying here for a short amount of time had already started giving me the creeps. I shook my useless fears off and marched towards the boxes.

There were columns. And I mean columns of boxes lined up all up against the left-hand side of the attic, arranged almost like a maze. I took a deep breath as I realized the tediousness of the task at hand. I really shouldn't have left it to the last minute. Ugh. I still had to dry clean the outfit as well and get rid of the 'old people' smell from these clothes. Why was I so disorganized lately? Oh right, it was the Salvatore brothers' fault.

Weaving through the maze of the huge plastic boxes, I finally wandered across the stuff from the 50s. And checking my watch, it only took two and half hours. I pursed my lips and sighed. Craning my head, I checked the label of each of the boxes.

_Dean Fitzroy._

_Kenneth W. Fitzroy._

_Leon D. Fitzroy._

I read out the names of long dead family members as my eyes trailed down the column. I moved on when I didn't find what I was looking for. I paused at another column.

_Jeanette M. Fitzroy née Harper._

_Joanne Harwood née Fitzroy._

_Helena D. Fitzroy née McRoy._

_Penelope G. Fitzroy._

This was it.

I took a step back and carefully tried to climb the boxes to get the top one down so I could get the rest of them down. Keyword tried. To my horrible luck, I slipped and the whole column came crashing down on me. I curled up in an attempt to dodge the falling boxes. The boxes in that column fell one by one like a jenga tower. One of the boxes burst open, it's contents splaying down on the floor with the heavy lid landing on my stomach. I heaved and groaned as I pushed off the heavy lid of the box. I sat up with much difficulty and blinked. This was so not my week. My head snapped to my sides. All the other boxes that fell were perfectly intact and surprisingly had landed upright.

On the other hand, one pesky little box was empty. It's contents were on the wooden floor. With a push, I picked myself up from the ground and wandered around the area of the attic collecting various objects from the box, going back and forth to put it by the boxe's side. In that time, I also made sure to restack the other boxes. I crashed in front of the half empty box as I gathered the last of the things. My eyes scanned it's label. _Penelope G. Fitzroy_. Great aunt Penny. I scrunched up my face when I tried to remember what I had heard of her. It wasn't much actually. Just that she had lost her mind and killed herself. Tragic.

With a shrug of my shoulders, I carefully started putting her things back into the back. There were some of her old clothes wrapped in brown paper. She did live through the 50s, I thought as I carefully unwrapped one of the packages. A sweet pastel olive green dress rolled out in front of me. The edges and bottom layers of the skirt of the skirt were a pastel bubblegum pink. There was also a thin pastel bubblegum pink belt across the waist of the dress. The skirt was the typical circle skirt of the 50s while the neckline was a v-shape with butterfly sleeves. It was cute and seemed appropriate enough to wear to a school dance.

I dusted my clothes off and grabbed the dress. Putting it aside, I started putting the rest of Penelope's things away. An old photo slipped out of my hands and landed on the floor just when I was about to finish. I groaned and bent down to pick up the picture. Swiping it off the floor, I turned it over in my hands. It was an old black and picture of Penelope. She stood side by side her twin Joanne and my great-grandma Helena. A small pained smile was painted on her face like she was holding herself back from doing something awful. Joanne and Helena on the other hand had a pleasant expression on their faces, a sharp contrast to that of Penelope's. I squinted when I noticed that Penelope was wearing the green dress I had picked up. I frowned and shook my head, turning to give a glance at the dress. Please don't be cursed, I silently begged.

Turning the picture in my hands again, I flipped it to check the back. _'Jo, Lenie and Penny in front of Mystic Grill (June, 1953)'_. Huh, I breathed out. I turned it back and stared hard at the picture to stare at the three girls in front of me. My gaze kept wandering back to Penelope's every single time. Her eyes were sharp and seemed to glaring at the person or someone behind the camera. She clutched her pearl necklace in fear. A chill passed through me as I shook my head and took a step back. Bending down to put the picture back when colors around me started to shift. I could hear faded laughter, ringing bells and sounds of cars.

" _Daydreaming about that stud again, Pen?" A soft voice called out to me. I had a tall glass of strawberry milkshake in front of me. I threw a glare at the girl who said that. A petite woman with a heart shaped face grinned at me with a teasing twinkle in her eyes as she checked herself in her compact mirror. It was Joanne. Her deep mahogany hair was pulled back just like in the picture with a baby blue ribbon to match her floral blue dress._

_I frowned and rolled my eyes, looking away from her. Everyone around me and those who walked by were all dressed like it was the 50s. Wait a minute. Joanne was sitting in front of me and she called me Pen. I inwardly screamed when I realized I had done it again and this time, I was Penelope instead of Lydia this time. Penelope didn't reply immediately, her gaze wandered around taking in her surroundings. "Not all of us have men in their minds, Jo. Not his kind anyway. The ones that look like devils." Penelope or I muttered out. "Peter or his sister on the other hand."_

_Joanne made a sound. She sucked in her breath and lightly punched Penelope, looking around to see if anyone heard me or Penelope. "Penelope Gale Fitzroy, would you hold your tongue."_

_I shrugged. "Why should I? It's not like we're not already frowned upon by this cursed town for our existence." I drawled out and took a sip. "Peter is a looker. You gotta admit."_

" _I admit but don't say anything like that 'bout Nancy. You know what folks are like 'bout those things. Maybe in Canada you can say those things or up North but not here." Joanne violently shook her head as she fixed the ribbon in her hair. "And we wouldn't be frowned upon if our ancestors didn't spout those crazy tales."_

_I scrunched up my face and glared at Penelope's twin. They looked similar but they were so different. One was clearly motivated and smart, the other was easy-going and naive. "They weren't tales. They were real." I spat out, glaring at a black chevy in front of me._

_My gaze wandered to a couple no they weren't a couple, a pair of siblings. Peter and Nancy Lloyd. I had to admit they were a pair of good-looking siblings. Nancy's strawberry blonde hair swung side-to-side in perfect curls as she clutched her brother's arm. A rosy smile painted on her cheeks with light freckles dusted carefully on her face as her bright sapphire eyes twinkled with joy. She looked as if she came right out of an old 50s teen movie where she was the protagonist._

_Nancy gave a little wave to the twins before skipping inside while Peter simply gave a nod as a simple greeting. A light blush spread across his face as he did so. I noticed, he also shared the same hue of blue orbs as his little sister. It was captivating. He reminded me of Matt for some reason. Peter's dark blond hair was slicked back with pomade. I watched as he made his way to his friends who all gathered around a different table. "He's dreamy, alright. I'll give you that." Joanne's soft voice cut through Penelope's thoughts. "But I'll tell you now that those things that our family talked 'bout are simply tales, nothing else."_

" _Whatever, Jo." I retorted, twirling a stray curl. "When's Lenie gonna show up anyways?" I asked, staring out at the horizon. I assumed Lenie was none other than great-grandma Helena._

_The town was emptier than what I remembered. There were less people and less buildings, more trees. It was somewhat peaceful. I could see from my seat that there was some on-going construction work going on or some nearly finished. "The sun's 'bout to set. It's almost time for the dance. We have to be home before curfew especially since..." I dropped my voice to a whisper. "...since the Salvatores are having some visitors over in this town. Father and Kenny said we should be careful not to bump into them."_

" _Oh Penny, since when did you become such a good little girl. You need to relax and have fun. Here." She slid her drink to me. "Try this. I think it'll loosen you right up."_

_I threw a skeptic look at her and leaned down to try her drink. One sip and I was already coughing. "This is alcohol." I hissed at my sister. I made a face of disgust and slid it back to her. "No wonder you're being this irrational. You're drunk. Oh momma's gonna kill you." I muttered which turned into a fit of coughs._

_To get rid of my coughing fits, I sipped my milkshake. Trying to wash out the strong after-taste of the bitter alcohol. To my luck, it didn't go away. Throwing a glare at Joanne, I got up. Only to bump into a man. I shivered involuntarily as I collided against him. "I'm sorry." I quickly apologized and tried to get past him. He flashed a smile, carrying on towards the bar. I paused and looked back at him. He looked familiar to me not Penelope but to me. The more Penelope stared at him, the more I realized, it was none other than Stefan. He looked exactly the same as I remembered to look like in my time. I mean of course he would, he was a vampire. This must be when he came to visit his uncle Joseph. I wanted to talk to him, say something but Penelope had other plans. She took me straight to the toilet._

_I stopped in front of the half-crowded sinks as I shuffled to an empty one in the far corner. Around me, some girls fussed and complained about the dance tonight while others did some last minute touch-ups while talking about their after dance dates or parties. I or Penelope didn't bother to join them. Now and then, I would feel some eyes on me. Some would try to approach me or even drag me into their conversation only to be repelled away by Penelope's cold glare. I turned on the sink and washed out my mouth of the bitter aftertaste of whatever alcohol Joanne had been drinking._

_When I was done, I pulled back and dabbed the excess water away with a handkerchief that matched the pastel olive dress. I stared at Penelope's reflection as she turned away to get some make-up out. She re-applied her lipstick and stood back, letting me inspect her appearance once more. Penelope was different from the pictures I had seen of her. For one, she wasn't in black and white. Her face didn't look pained. In fact, she looked to be strong. She had a light tanned complexion with deep brown eyes and deep reddish mahogany hair that seemed to be a typical Fitzroy trait. She was pretty. Her eyes were slightly cat-like and her lips were painted a vintage red and seemed to be in a natural smirk. She was very attractive yet so different from Lydia who was the innocent type of beautiful._

_The door opened with a bang as a woman stomped into the room, her hair somewhat dishevelled. I noticed then that I, no, Penelope was all alone. Gone were the gossiping high school girls and disapproving spinsters. It was almost empty. That woman stood a few sinks away from me. Her head turned away from me with her hair covering the sides of her face but I could tell she was not happy with her situation. She grunted and complained about something under her breath as Penelope shifted in her place. My eyes wandered over to that woman again. Only to see that she had her hair back in place already. They were in perfect curls like nothing had happened._

" _What are you looking at?" That woman growled out. "Look away." She spat out, her face turning to scowl at me. Her face, it was so familiar. Olive skin with deep brown doe eyes and brunette hair. She looked almost like Elena and Katherine. But Elena was not born yet. And this couldn't have been Katherine, she was in the tomb then who? "Do you have a problem?" She asked again._

_I rolled my eyes and gestured to her hair. "I was staring at your hair, miss. It seems your pins are in the wrong place." I replied in a sickly sweet tone. Slowly, a sudden bloody urge crept into my mind or Penelope's. My hands started shaking as my mouth went dry and my palms sweaty. I had this uncontrollable urge to kill. Not just kill anyone but to kill this woman. With bated breath, I lifted my head towards the mirror in front of me._

_Red veins had appeared on my eyes like I had been staying awake for days on end or I was in rage. My arms shook violently. Voices whispered in my head, telling me to use Penelope's brooch as some sort of weapon or anything against this weapon._

_Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill..._

_Kill..._

_Rip her head off..._

_Stake the vampire…_

_Destroy the abomination…_

" _No!" I screamed out, clutching my head in pain and falling to the hard linoleum floor. "Make it stop! Please!"_

" _Are you okay?" That woman asked feigning concern. She was closer now. The urge to kill her had only grown deeper. If the urge wasn't satiated, it felt like my head would burst open._

_Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill..._

_I grunted and pushed myself off the ground. "Get away from me!" I hissed and pushed her away. She glared at me and apologized sarcastically for trying to help before getting away and leaving. With her gone, the urge disappeared like nothing happened._

_Penolope pushed herself off the ground with ease and quickly dusted her dress off. I, along with her, was forced to do her actions. I watched as she leaned against the sink and splashed some water on her face. Then she took out the handkerchief again and dabbed her face dry. I then as Penelope took out a powder and some rouge. Moving Penelope's head side to side. I quickly reapplied the makeup once more. The lipstick was fine at least._

_With one last look, I walked out and headed straight towards the bar to buy myself another cool drink or something to eat. There was no doubt the milkshake had already melted into a slightly cool strawberry cream milk by this time. My gaze wandered around the bar as I waited patiently for my order. I paused when that woman came into my view again. She sat in a far corner booth tucked away from prying eyes behind other tables and chairs, only visible if you squinted. She had her head down but you could still tell she was staring at you, no, not at me or Penelope. Discreetly, I followed her gaze and stopped when it reached a boy. It was Stefan. The woman sat and eyed Stefan as he quietly asked the people around him about his uncle Joseph._

_A chill went down my back when I remembered who or what that woman was. It seemed Penelope knew as well despite her sister's blissful ignorance. Penelope knew and wholeheartedly believed her family. I glanced back to check on that woman only to find her gone. I scrunched up my face in worry as I stared back at Stefan. In Penelope's mind, she debated whether or not to tell that gentleman about his 'admirer'. In the end, she simply carried on walking outside with her new drink in her hand, taking me with her._

_Outside, Joanne sat and chatted happily with another woman and a man. Her face lit up when she spotted. She waved at me to come closer. "Lenie's here. We can go now." She beamed brightly, gesturing to the black haired woman sitting in front of her. The woman or Helena rolled her eyes and got up to give me a hug before sitting back down. She held the man's hands in a soft grip. They were a couple._

_"You gonna babysit us tonight, Leo?" I joked as I sat down, placing the iced lemonade in front of me. I could feel Penelope's mind still on edge._

_Leo scowled and shook his head. "You're starting to take after Jo, Pen—"_

_"We're twins, Leon. What did you expect?" Jo smirked as she rocked back and forth. Ah, so this was my great-grandpa Leon. The pieces seemed to click together._

_Helena started laughing watching us bicker. "We're gonna be stuck here all day at this rate, if you three keep at it." She said between breaths._

_"And whose fault is that?" Leon defended himself._

_"Not mine." I chimed in._

_"Well. I. Ugh. It's not fair. Y'all always put the blame on me. Even Netty." Joanne pouted and folded her arms._

_"Anyways. How is Jeannette?" Helena attempted to defuse the tension by diverting to someone else._

_"She's fine. Kenny's planning to move to Colorado or somewhere up north maybe New York." Leon replied calmly as he gently shook his drink around. Leon was a year or two older than the twins and Helena. I remembered now from Penelope's memories and that Kenneth was the oldest but he didn't want to take over the family so he was planning to leave since he had already married. "If you ask me I just think they want to get the hell out of this god forsaken town." He added as an afterthought._

_"Would anyone blame them?" I cut in as I mindlessly stared at the parking lot. "We should've left a long time ago."_

_There was a moment of silence before Joanne decided to ease the tension. She got up and asked if Leon would do them the favor of taking the pictures of the girls before the dance. Like the gentleman he was, he agreed without any argument. He got up and went back to his car to grab his camera. In the meantime, Joanne and Helena randomly chattered among themselves. I or Penelope would add in something but for the most part I was quiet. I was too busy staring at that woman again who had reappeared out of nowhere. She was standing at a distance still staring at that man, no, Stefan. This time she was more visible but the crowd of people made it easier for her to blend in._

_Pursing my lips, I excused myself for a moment before striding towards Stefan. He was leaning against a red vintage sports car, looking lost in thought. The moment I approached him. I felt it. A cold shiver that felt suffocating passed through me. He was a vampire. A fact I knew but Penelope didn't. Immediately, I could feel Penelope regretting her decision to talk to him already but she pushed it down and pressed forward. He seemed polite despite what he was. She thought._

_"Excuse me." I called out in a sweet voice._

_Stefan's head snapped to look at me. He looked annoyed but plastered on a smile as he turned to look at me. "Yes, Miss?"_

_"Fitzroy. It's Miss Fitzroy." I introduced myself with a slight bow._

_A flash of recognition passed through his eyes as he took in my appearance. "Any relation to the founding family?"_

_I nodded. "I'm a direct descendant of James Fitzroy." I looked around again with urgency and swallowed thickly as a wave of thoughts flooded through me. The urge to kill had returned. I tried hard to suppress it. This time, it was easier to suppress, maybe it was me who was mentally stronger and prepared for it or maybe Penelope was fighting harder this time around. I didn't know. "I apologize for interrupting your time but I believe there is a woman who is following you."_

_Stefan got off the car and stood straight in front of me. The closeness started to make my hands violently shake. Kill._

_Kill. Kill. Kill._

_The voices started whispering. I visibly flinched back and took a few steps back. Immediately, the volume quietened down. "A woman?" He asked, confused. He scrunched up his face and held his hand under his chin, thinking. "Ah." Gone was the confusion. He turned back to me and smiled gratefully. I could tell he was pretending. "It was probably my friend. She's blonde, am I right?" He asked, somewhat distracted._

_Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill…_

_"No, actually. She was—"_

_"Penny! Where did she run off to now?" "Penelope! Penelope Gale Fitzroy" "Pen, come on!" The collective voices of Helena, Joanne and Leon rang out through the parking lot as I silently cursed them for their timing._

_I threw an apologetic smile towards Stefan. "It seems they're calling for you, Miss Fitzroy." He stated._

_Before I could say anything else, he had walked back inside the grill. I scowled and stomped back to Joanne. She beamed brightly and hooked her arm with mine. Helena mimicked her. The girls dragged me towards the front windows of the grill and posed me like a ragdoll. Leon stood across from me with his camera out. The scowl on my face only deepened. The voices in my head slightly echoed._

_"Ready?" Leon called out as he brought the camera up to his face. "Oh sorry." He paused to let a man pass by. It was Stefan again. He threw a quick smile at me before returning to stand in front of his car, still looking like he was waiting for someone._

_The urge came back again in waves as I stared at Stefan distracted. There was something about vampires that was triggering these thoughts. I clenched my fists and bit down the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from losing composure. I felt the flesh break and small drops of blood mix in with my saliva. Swallowing heavily in pain. I painted on a pained smile as Leon smiled. "Ready?" He asked again with a sweet well-meaning smile._

_"Ready." Helena and Joanne echoed. "...Ready." I added in with my mouth clenched shut and fist tightened. The flash and sound of shutters drowned out the voices._

_Snap. Snap. Snap._

With that, I found myself laying on the cold wooden floor of the attic. I was face up, staring at the swinging lights. From the small window, I could tell the sun had set. How long was I out? I wondered as I picked myself off. I panted and huffed, sitting up.

I thought back to what I had seen. That was the start of Penelope's madness. An uncontrollable urge to kill vampires. I knew Stefan was a vampire. And there was no doubt that the woman or Katherine as I would like to believe was one too. No wonder she had ended her own life. The urge to kill was inescapable and suffocating. I had no doubt, I would do the same if I was in her place. The thought of that being me scared me and I hoped that a day would never come where I end up like her.

Turning around, I looked everywhere for the photograph. It was gone. As was the box with her belongings. The clothes I had picked out from her belongings, however, were neatly folded in a fold-up chair. Her box had been put back in its previous place along with the other boxes. They were all neatly stacked, like they didn't just topple over me a few hours back.

"You're up." I jumped where I stood when uncle Nate's loud and cheery voice interrupted my train of thoughts. He burst out into a fit of laughter as he clutched his stomach. "...Your reaction...wow."

"Not funny." I hissed out, rubbing elbows in an attempt to calm myself. "I almost had a heart attack."

"Well, that's your fault for being unaware of your surroundings." He paused, shifting his face to one of seriousness. "Do you know what time it is?" He asked with a tone of concern. I shook my head. He sighed and closed his eyes, opening them to stare at me. "It's like twelve am."

My mouth widened in shock before snorting "...Yeah. I'm not buying that." I quickly retorted and tried to push past him. He grabbed my arm and slipped my phone into my hands. With a scowl, I flipped it open. Sure enough, the screen read.

_12:17 AM_

I had been out for almost eight hours. I didn't just faint. I had fallen asleep here in the dusty attic. Tsk. I made a sound of anger and frustration. This was getting out of hand. I flipped my phone to a close and hugged myself. My eyes wide awake. Sleep was not going to come tonight. "Well, this is just great." I hissed out, staring at the ground in anger.

Uncle Nate sighed and picked up the neatly folded up dress. "I'll have the maids dry-clean this." He gestured to the dress. I flashed him a grateful smile. It was half-hearted. I was too mad at myself to give it my all. "You should get something to eat from the kitchen and maybe have one of the sleeping pills, Dr. Warren prescribed you." He suggested, as his head now popped up from the opening of the attic while he stood at the top stairs of the attic.

"Thanks. I think I'm gonna need it after being great aunt Penny for eight freaking hours." I muttered out.

He whistled as he descended down the stairs. I followed him without much thought, making sure to turn off the lights and lock the attic. "That sounds rough." He commented. "No offence, that woman was a nut-job."

"I don't...blame her. Anyone would go mad if they heard voices in their heads."

"Technically you also have voices in your head."

I made a sound of disapproval and followed him down the corridor and down the stairs to the kitchen. The house was half-lit. Most of the maids and servants had most likely gone home already. "...Technically, those are not voices but thoughts. Not all of them are mine." I paused, swinging the fridge door open. "And great aunt Penny was hearing her own voice and—had this violent and I mean violent like psychotic, urge to kill."

Uncle Nate paused and his head snapped towards me. He blinked in shock. "I'm sorry. But what did you just say?" He asked, clearly surprised at this revelation.

"Um. She was having thoughts of killing vampires." I repeated, this time adding the bit about vampires.

"Oh." He didn't say anything much but simply looked to be in deep thought.

I didn't say anything else after that. Instead, I went back to browsing the fridge for any leftovers. My eyes scanned the half-filled fridge. I paused and took a step back to grab a plate. I decided to carefully dump a small piece of Tuesday night's chicken lasagne into the plate and take out some iced coffee. With my leg, I shut the door of the fridge and skipped towards the microwave. It was kinda scary how fast I was getting used to things like this. It was almost tragic. Like I had already accepted these abnormalities in my life. And I just knew things were downhill from here on out.

Wordlessly, I threw the plate into the microwave, walking away to grab a straw for the coffee and a set of cutlery. _Ping._ With that, I skipped over to the microwave and took out my plate and skipped over to a seat near the counter. All the while, uncle Nate stood on the side with a hard contemplative look on his face. He took a deep audible breath and shook his head as I quietly stuffed my face with my late dinner.

"Right. I'm gonna pack this up for dry-cleaning. Oh, right. I forgot but some people called Will and Dana called you several times." He finally spoke up.

I tried to chew quickly and swallow. "...Wiii an' Dayya cawed fo' me?" I asked. My mouth was clearly full. I washed the food down with the coffee and repeated the same question. "Will and Dana called for me?"

"Yeah... something about the dance." He said before disappearing out the door and reappearing with his phone. I fell back onto my seat at that. Ugh. I aggressively flipped my phone open.

_21 missed calls. 67 New messages. 15 Voicemails._

I was so screwed. I had lost so much time that I had almost forgotten about the dance. At least this time Caroline was the one in charge. I would be so dead if it was me in charge. "Question?" Uncle Nate called out from the door. "Y'know how Penelope felt. Did you ever have any experience like that?" He asked with his phone held out in front of him.

I stared at him blankly. "...No. Why?" I replied in a small voice. I had never ever felt that before. It was horrible and nightmarish. I hoped that I never would.

"No reason. Just checking." He replied, typing something on his phone. I was too tired to say anything back. I just nodded tiredly, munching down on my late dinner.

* * *

A few days had passed since that incident. It was late evening and I sat in an almost empty Grill. Keyword almost. Now and then, my eyes would drift towards Matt who sat next to me with a job application in front of him. I was trying my hardest not to be a terrible friend, well less of a terrible friend. It had taken me a while but I had come to terms with Vicki's death. Thinking hard on it, avoiding Matt would only help me not Matt himself. In other words, I was being a hypocritical selfish bitch. To put it in nicer words.

The job application was slid across my view and landed perfectly in front of me. I paused twirling my straw and raised my eyebrows at Matt. "Can you double-check it? Please." Matt asked with a tired look on his face. He had been spending countless nights and days trying to make sense of his expenses now that he was alone. I did offer to help him as did my family but no surprise, he turned us down.

With a tight smile, I picked up the form and held it to my face. "Looks fine...so far." I glanced at him, only to see him staring down at the table with a conflicted look. Without thinking, I slid my plate of fries to him. "Your nervousness is seriously starting to infect me. Eat—" I gestured to the plate. "—It's a good distraction." I added in, bringing my gaze back to the form.

"So...is it okay?" Matt asked as he nervously gnawed on a fry. I nodded and handed him back the form. I opened my mouth to say something, only to be cut off by him. "Before you offer your help. Again. I appreciate it but I'll pass."

I sighed. "I mean—"

"Really, Ava. I'll be fine as a busboy." He cut me off as he gave another look to his application before sighing. "I can't rely on whatever my mom remembers to send me forever or wait for Vick to come back."

A flash of guilt went through my face before I composed myself and awkwardly drank my lemonade. "Fine...just try not to fall behind in your classes." I said. "That hot dumb jock stereotype won't stick forever, y'know."

"Well, that's what I have you for." Matt grinned at me before putting down the form and turning to look at me with a relieved smile. "Seriously I don't know what I would do without you."

"Who knows? Guess we'll never find out." I stole a fry from the plate in front of him and nibbled on it. "Also what did I say about saying cheesy things."

"You only like cheese on—"

"—food. Exactly." I grinned and stared at him. He sighed and stared back down at the form. I could tell he was still afraid I would push him away again. I didn't blame him. I wanted to. Every time, I remembered Vicki, I wanted to run for my sake and to avoid the burning feeling of guilt. I just wish I could tell him the truth. "Matt—" I never managed to say anything more when a chill passed through me. I sat up straight and carefully looked around the grill. I paused when my gaze landed on none other than Damon. Rolling my eyes, I relaxed. I know I should be used to this being around the Salvatore brothers all the time but I never was.

"Hey, you okay? You're shivering." Matt's concerned face peered down at me. His eyes roaming around my face, trying to make sense of what just happened.

With a nervous smile, I was about to reply when a commotion caught my attention. "Ugh, Damon keeps bothering Bonnie."

"I know right. What a dick!" We both got up to go over Bonnie and help her out when someone else beat us to it. A handsome and young bartender came to Bonnie's rescue. With ease he got rid of Damon and from what I could see had managed to charm her as well. I stared hard at the bartender, confused at who this guy was. "Matt, whose that?" I gestured to the bartender I had never noticed before.

Matt opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off by the same guy I was talking about. "Ben Mckittrick." He answered with a charming smile, Bonnie trailed behind him with a dreamy look. Oh, I knew that look.

I threw Bonnie a look of disbelief before plastering a smile on my face. "Ava. I don't think I've ever seen you around before..."

He nodded with a smirk and got behind the counter. I don't know why but something about him really made my skin crawl. There was something unsettling about him. "Course you haven't. You're Ava Fitzroy." He grabbed my half-empty glass and refilled. "On the house." He stated, sliding the glass back to me before leaning towards me. "No offense, but your family are pretty exclusive with who you guys associate yourselves with, more than the Lockwoods and that's saying something. Plus, heard you all skipped town after your granddad died and—I say that with complete sensitivity."

"Umm. Not true. We left because of my dad's job...and other priorities." I retorted, fidgeting in my seat as I carefully took a sip of my refilled drink. "And we just...like to keep to ourselves." I added, keeping my head down. There was still that god awful cold feeling in my chest. And Damon was long gone.

"You're proving his point." Bonnie chimed in while Matt broke into a fit of laughter.

I rolled my eyes and passed Bonnie my drink. "Whatever." My eyes drifted to the clock at the back of the bar. I sighed. I really forgot to prepare my costume for the dance. "Well kids, it's getting late. I have to go." I got up and turned away from the trio to gather my things. "Hey bartender, thanks for the—" I held up the still almost full glass of lemonade. "—the drink but I have to run."

Ben snorted and turned away from us. "You have time to grab another drink sometime?" He asked boldly.

I paused to share a look with Bonnie. She looked disappointed and gazed at me with hope. She wanted me to turn him down. Well, she was in luck. I had no intentions of giving him a chance not when he gave me the creeps. But I also didn't want him to go out with her. Ugh. I hated this. Pursing my lips, I smiled tightly. "I'm not. Student council duties and yearbook committee plus photography, art and debate club stuff." Excuses, excuses. Hopefully, he would take a hint and back off.

Ben whistled and stared at me impressed. "Wow you're 'that' kid, huh."

"I like being busy." I shrugged and tilted my head. "But Bonnie's free...if you're interested." I gestured to my best friend.

"...Ava." She hissed under her breath while Ben looked at us with a knowing look. A soft blush spread across her mocha skin as she tried to look anywhere but at Ben. Matt shook his head and waited patiently for the manager.

Before she could go off on me, I ran out the grill and got inside my replacement car. It was black and smaller than my previous car. This one had belonged to my aunt Diana before she upgraded. My car was still getting fixed, thanks to uncle Nate and my brother. I still hated that vampire who totalled my car with a passion. If I see that bastard, I will flambe him alive. With that thought, I drove back to the 'Fitzroy Manor'.

* * *

"I can't believe you're handing things over to Caroline!" Dana whined while checking her nails and leaning against a set of lockers.

Will rolled his eyes and just threw Dana and Aimee a look of disdain. "Well...it is Caroline's job in the first place." Chad added, trying to calm his girlfriend down. "It'd be pretty weird for us to take over."

She pouted and placed her head on Chad's shoulder. "Still...the girls on the cheerleading squad are so...so bitchy and have zero taste in what the actual 50s was like." She whined.

I shared a look with Will who sighed deeply. "Dana. You and Aimee are literally on the squad." He retorted with a deadpan look. I snorted at Will's statement. Dana clearly didn't mean herself and Aimee. I was sure she was talking about Caroline and Tiki and their minions. I mean Caroline could be a sweet girl but Tiki, she was a bitch. She brought Caroline's worst sides out.

Shutting my locker, I leaned against it. "I think you're just being a little dramatic. We already have too much on our plate." I spoke up. "We have the annual Christmas play and there's that debate 'bout the winter ball—"

"—if the budget allows us to throw it." Will cut in. I nodded.

"And the winter festival." Jeff chimed in with a tired look. "We have a lot of work to do."

Aimee banged one of the lockers. "We could either give Caroline the job of organizing the winter ball or we could just skip the ball since we're having the decades dance later this week and have the festival." She suggested.

"Ditch the ball. We're having the festival. No arguments. I'd rather die than give Caroline more power." Dana replied without any hesitation. We all stared at her questionably. "What? She's like this school's Regina George. No offence, Ava. I get that she's your best friend but y'know I'm right."

"Okay..." Will nodded. "All in favor." We all raised our hands and nodded. "Great. We only had the budget for one more event anyway. We're set. We can all go back to the decade's dance prep." He clapped his hands together whilst clutching his clipboard against his chest, only to stop and bring it out. He took out a pen and scribbled down what we had just discussed. "By the way, where did you disappear off to, the other day. Dana and I tried to reach you on your house phone and your cell. You just never responded."

I froze at Will's words. Everyone in the council stared at me. Jeff and Chad looked like they didn't care while Aimee looked bored. Dana seemed concerned. "You seem to disappear a lot lately." She remarked, flipping her ponytail back. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah...I fell asleep early while looking for a costume for the dance." It wasn't exactly a lie but it wasn't exactly the truth either. Telling them the truth was never on my mind.

They looked unconvinced. Guess I was running out of excuses. "Well, y'know you can trust us with—"

"—Hey!" Tyler's loud voice boomed across the entry school corridors as he ran towards us. My head snapped to stare at him. In his hand, he carried a folded up banner. He marched right up to us. He did not look too happy. "Do you guys know where I should put this thing?" He asked, puffing his chest and looking angry, probably because he was forced to help out.

No one said anything for a while. We all just stared at him in confusion. We weren't really in charge of this dance. Caroline and her group were. We were just making sure they didn't go over the budget or stuck to the guidelines at least. "Um... that's Caroline's work. Go ask her." Aimee retorted, a little rudely.

Tyler glared at her and then asked again, clearly not in the mood to go talk to Caroline. Ah. I understood why. She was probably with Matt. For some weird reason, he was so against Caroline and Matt dating. Pursing my lips, I sighed and signalled him to follow me. The rest of the members scowled and some commented I was being too nice. When really, I just wanted to get out of that situation.

I led Tyler to the gym as he trailed behind me. His expression had shifted and his mood seemed lighter. I didn't comment on it but I had definitely noticed. I swung open the doors of the gym and Tyler went in first, putting up the banner in its rightful place without any instructions from me. I stared at him tiredly. "You didn't need help did you?" I questioned out-loud, folding my arms and narrowing my eyes up at him.

He turned around on the ladder and grinned down at me. "Nope. You're welcome by the way." He stated before turning back to secure the banner. "Pass me the nail gun, please." Wordlessly, I glided towards the nail gun and grabbed it. I walked over to him and placed the nail gun out into his stretched out hand. He smiled gratefully before nailing the banner to the rafters.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. Annoyed, at being ignored, I leaned against a table. "You're welcome?" I echoed his earlier words. "For what? Wasting my time?"

"For rescuing you from an uncomfortable situation." He corrected me and carried on securing the banner. "You're welcome." He repeated again.

"Thanks but I had it handled."

"Is that why you looked like you wanted to throw up?"

"For your information, I was...tired."

He snorted and shook his head. "... Whatever you say." He paused and leaned back on the ladder to stare at the banner. "Got a date for the stupid dance?"

"Why? You interested in being my date?" I teased him. yler had zero interest in someone like me. I knew that. According to him, I was too stuck up or something along that lines.

Tyler puffed up his cheeks and blew out some air as a faint blush spread across his cheeks. "Wha...No...I mean unless you're interested."

"I'll think about it." I smiled before rolling my eyes and turning away from him. "I'm not putting in a good word for you to Matt." I stated, checking my nails. "If you wanna make up with him, then drop the alpha douche-thing you have going on and go approach him. It's not that hard."

He climbed down the ladder and put down the nail gun. "It is when he's always with Caroline these days. I don't see what he sees in her. Like—"

"Choose your next words carefully, Lockwood or you're gonna be spending the next season on the bench." I glared at him as I folded my arms.

He threw his hands up in defence and backed off. "Phew. Hey. I was just—"

"Just? I don't care. Caroline is my friend. And so is Matt. If they're happy. That has nothing to do with you or me. Got it. Now if you excuse me. I have places to be."

"Come on. I was trying to be nice." Tyler grabbed my arm and stood in my way, trying to stop me from leaving. I pulled my arm away from him and narrowed my eyes, trying to get past him again. "Why do you always have to be so serious?"

"Why do you always have to be such a dick?" I retorted.

His jaws clenched and his grip on me slackened. "...I'm sorry for being such a dick." He mumbled out. I made a sound of frustration and looked away. "So the dance—"

"There you are!" Caroline threw open the doors of the gym and marched straight to me. Tyler's face hardened as he glared at Caroline. My eyes widened and I looked between my two friends. Caroline narrowed her eyes, staring at Tyler with an open look of disgust and annoyance. "What are you doing here with...him?" She gestured to Tyler with her head.

"He can hear you."

"That's the whole point." The blonde replied with a sickly sweet smile. But the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes were dull and narrowed like she had no interest in this conversation at all. "Um...do you mind?" She asked him to leave, pointing at the door.

Tyler scoffed and stomped out the door, only to stop at the door. "About the dance—"

"—I'll think bout it. No promises on it or Matt."

"What about Matt?" Caroline questioned with a curious glint in her eyes.

"Nothing." "Nothing." Tyler and I stated at the same time. With that Tyler was gone.

Caroline huffed and turned to stare at me with an inquisitive look. She opened her mouth to ask, only to close it again when I gave her a look. She huffed and instead dragged me outside the gym to the parking lot. She walked me through the decorations that the cheerleaders had made with the football players with some help from the art and woodwork club. Like an excited puppy, she bounced from one spot to another as she proudly showed me the work. And every time, she would expect some kind of praise and every time I would try to be as honest as I could be. I didn't actually have any complaints about anything, most of it looked nice.

The winter sun shone brightly as Caroline dragged me through the football field. She would point and gesture to each of the decorations that were laid out there, commenting on them. They were mindless comments and it felt like she was wasting my and her own time. I pursed my lips and stared at her as she chatted away. Instead of replying, I would nod or make some sort of noise of acknowledgement. I didn't know what to say. Everything she said sounded hollow like she was trying so hard to be nice and positive. It was kinda grating on my ears and was starting to get on my nerves. At this point, I was thinking back to how I should have gone home after the mini-student council meeting. At least I wouldn't be getting dragged like a ragdoll nor would I have to think about being Tyler Lockwood's date to a dance.

However, no matter how hard she smiled or laughed or joked. I could tell she was conflicted about something. I stopped and dug my feet in the grassy field when Caroline tried to drag me elsewhere. She stopped and turned around, staring at me, confused. I had finally had enough of this mindless chatter. "Pause." Now I was the one who dragged Caroline when she tried to drag me somewhere. "What's going on?"

She smiled thinly and widened her eyes, trying to make herself look more livelier and happy. "What do you mean?" She asked with a fake happy voice.

"You're using your 'cheer' voice and look." I gestured to her face. Unconsciously, her hand went up to her face before she dropped it to her sides. "So what happened?"

A loud sigh was heard as Caroline backed away and sat down on one of the picnic benches. "Do you think I say the wrong things at the wrong time all the time?"

"Yes." I replied with a deadpan look. It wasn't a secret. Caroline was sweet but she was also very blunt and often mean with a penchant for terrible timing. "But you're also thoughtful, dedicated and kind in your own way." I added as I took a seat down.

She sighed again and placed her head on my shoulders. "I keep saying the wrong things to Matt." She stated out-loud, throwing her head back and staring at the clear skies. "He hates me." She turned to me and sighed again.

"He doesn't hate you." I replied. "I mean I would know."

"You would, wouldn't you?" She retorted with a slight jealous look in her eyes. I scoffed and stared at her. "...I'm sorry. Okay? It's just you're good with people and I'm not." _"It's easy for her." "She's just naturally good with people."_

"Well, the trick is to not to be insecure and trust the other person. Trust Matt and I'll tell you what I told Tyler—talk to Matt.." I stated.

"Fine. Wanna come over to my house so that we can get ready for the dance?" She asked, trying to change the subject. "Bonnie's already coming over."

"Sorry, I already promised Elena that I'd go over at hers." Caroline rolled her eyes and skipped over to Bonnie who stood by herself. I watched her go and shook my head.

* * *

I leaned over Elena's bathroom counter, checking my curls. I had decided to go with pin-up curls which meant putting in hair rollers in my hair and sitting around for hours. I sighed and cursed myself. This better be worth it. Carefully, I removed the rollers while Elena hummed lightly from next to me.

"There." I huffed out, putting down the last roller. "All done. This better be worth it." I complained while I moved to grab some pins. Elena didn't say anything but simply grinned while adding the finishing touches to her hair. I carefully pinned my hair in the right places to create perfect pin-up curls. I had already helped her with her makeup. She was ready, just needed to straighten her hair.

Elena dropped her makeup brush and took a step back. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her fidgeting and gnawing her lips with anxiety. She had something she wanted to say. Without a word, I placed the hairspray on the counter and turned to face her. My eyes narrowed, raising an eyebrow, I stared at her questioningly. She pursed her lips in response, still hesitating whether or not she should speak her mind.

I rolled my eyes and picked up the hairspray again. She followed my actions and carried on getting ready. Picking up a lipstick, she opened and closed her mouth several times, still debating with herself. I didn't bother to look at her, letting her quietly decide on her own, if she really wanted to tell me what she had on her mind. After all, I wasn't the type to push someone if they weren't sure. However, this time she was doing too much.

Taking a step back, I stared at myself in the mirror and again placed the hairspray down. "Alright, spit it out." I spoke out after a moment of prolonged silence.

A deep sigh and the sound of a blush brush clattering to the marble counter was heard. Elena turned around and leaned on the counter. "...Do you remember the night, we...well you crashed into that...vampire?" She questioned, fidgeting with her hair. I nodded once. "Well, he called me when I went to pick up my costume."

My eyes widened as I leaned close and stared at her. "Have you told Stefan?" I asked without any hesitation.

"I did." She breathed out and then he gave me this. She disappeared back into her room, only to reappear after a while with something shiny and small in her hand.

With trembling hands, she passed it to me. It was the compass, the Gilbert compass. This was supposed to be missing. I raised my eyebrows and stared at Elena as I carefully turned it over in my hands. It still worked or so it seemed. She turned around to face the mirror and opened her mouth to explain. "Stefan gave that to me." She began, pointing at the compass. I stared at her, telling her to continue. "It's to protect me."

I nodded, understanding where Stefan was coming from and handed the compass back to Elena. It was after all her family heirloom, regardless if she still didn't believe herself to be a 'Gilbert'. Elena took it back, her fingers going over the glass. She stopped, straightening her posture, she went back into her room. I snorted quietly when I saw her just chuck the compass onto her bed. Somewhere in this town, Carol Lockwood was losing her mind at Elena's handling of heritage items.

"You have the compass, now and Stefan is also gonna be there for you. Don't worry too much about it." I stated, trying to reassure her while she stepped back into the bathroom. She nodded. "Anyways, why don't we focus on something more positive?" I asked with a hopeful smile.

"Like?"

"Tonight's dance?"

"Only you would be excited over a school dance."

"And Caroline."

"And Caroline." Elena chimed in. "Which reminds me..." She started with a suspicious grin on her face. "Caroline told me that Tyler Lockwood asked you to the dance."

I facepalmed myself, wanting to slam my head into the hard counter repeatedly to hide from this. Sometimes, Caroline really did have a big mouth. "She told you that?" I asked, knowing I was so going to kill Caroline when I saw her next. Elena made a sound and bobbed her head excitedly. "Did she tell you I turned him down."

"Technically you didn't."

"The dance is tonight, Elena. Unless he likes being the 'last minute date'. I'll pass."

"Still...I can't believe Tyler asked you to the dance." Elena exclaimed, turning to stare at incredulously before swaying away to sit on her bed and carry on getting ready.

I rolled my eyes and blew out a puff of air while re-checking my makeup. "Only 'cause he wants me to put in a good word for him to Matt." I replied boredly. Turning around to stare at her, I grinned. "Please, do you actually think Tyler would have genuine interest in someone like me."

Elena whistled and threw her hands up, coming over to hug me from the back. "Excuse me. Um. Have you seen yourself?"

"I'm not talking about my appearance. I'm a ten, on my best days. An eight on average. I meant he's too much of a dick and according to him I'm too uptight. It's not happening."

"Would it kill you to maybe pretend to be interested?" She sighed and walked off.

"In Tyler?" I retorted. "I have standards." I commented quietly as I checked my hair again and carefully applied a neutral peach lipstick on my lips.

"Don't we all know it."

I snorted loudly.

"Don't make that sound. Y'know I'm right." She called out to me and carried on. "What about Damon?" A mischievous grin spread across her face as I rolled my eyes. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "So Damon?" She blew a stray hair out of her face as I quickly moved to secure it with some hairspray.

"Hmm. I'd rather swallow a hot iron rod while walking off a cliff into straight magma than consider Damon as a...romantic anything." I replied back while I let go of her to grab a light pink scarf from my bag.

I wrapped it around my neck, swapping the pearls that Penelope wore for a more casual 50s look. I stood back and admired myself in the mirror. I turned to glance at Elena. "Besides, I think he has a thing for you...since you sorta kinda look like his bitchy ex. No offence"

A grumbled response was all that the brunette gave me before she put on a red scarf around her neck.

" _Did she have to say that out-loud. It's not like I didn't know already."_

" _Ugh. This is so_ — _"_

I scoffed and before I could stop myself. "I'm just saying. We're just in this weird limbo while he actually has feelings for you...for Katherine that he's projecting onto you. But you have nothing to worry about because you're not Katherine."

Elena stood away from the counter and stared at me, confused and scared. _"How did she_ — _"_

"I never said that but..." Her words trailed off but her thoughts didn't.

" _Bonnie's psychic and she's_ — _"_

" _Oh my god."_

" _Wait. She's probably screwing with me."_

" _She does have a point."_

" _Wonder when Stefan's gonna show up?"_

" _Maybe I should check up on Jeremy and_ — _"_

I flinched back a little at the onslaught of Elena's thoughts. I shook my head and just told her to forget what I said. With a pout, Elena walked back to the bathroom and started fixing her hair, taking out a blow dryer to do so. She paused to stare at me with wide eyes, wondering what was going on. Without saying much, I gave her a look that I would tell her later.

Breathing out, I walked over to Elena's bed and sat down. My eyes wandered to a shiny object on her bed. I nodded along to whatever Elena was saying, not really listening or responding to her. I picked up the compass, turning it over in my hands. and put down the compass while Elena walked off to straighten her hair. My eyes would drift towards the compass as I boredly scanned Elena's room. The burn marks from the candles we put on the ground for the séance were still there but faded out, hidden underneath the rug. The pictures that we took from the last time I was in Mystic Falls were also there stuck on the side of the vanity mirror. I kept looking around but my eyes would always go back to the compass. Maybe it was a weird sense of paranoia.

"Elena..." I called out to my best friend who hummed away softly while she straightened her hair with the blow dryer. "Elena!" I tried again.

"What?" She answered, turning off the blow dryer. Her head peaked out from the doorway of the bathroom as she peered at me. "What is it this time?" I said nothing but grabbed the compass and got up, stalking towards her. The hands of the compass were spinning around wildly. I froze when the hands of the compass paused, only to start spinning again. A look of terror flashed through Elena's face. "It's probably Stefan." She stated, trying to convince both of us.

I looked at her unconvinced and on-guard. Swallowing thickly, I handed the compass to Elena. "Call Stefan." I commanded her. She nodded and walked down the stairs to call him. I didn't follow her instead I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. A chill passed through me, a faint deathly cold feeling gripped me tight as I struggled to breathe. I opened my eyes and tried to follow him down the stairs.

"False alarm!" Elena called out from downstairs. "Damon said it was Stefan." She added, her voice inching closer to where I stood in the middle of the stairs. "See I told you so."

A cold shiver passed through me again as I hugged myself tighter. Taking a deep breath, I nodded unconvinced and started going back. "Elena!" Stefan's shouts stopped me in my tracks and made me do a u-turn as I sprinted down the stairs, being careful not to trip. I made it down the stairs just in time as Stefan threw a man, no, the vampire across the room. He landed on the rug, taking the vase and bowls on the coffee table down with him. The sound of glass shattering made me flinch and take a step back. Stefan and I made eye contact. He paused. I watched as his eyes widened.

A flicker of recognition flashed through his eyes, like a memory running in his mind. He blinked and it was gone. I broke off the contact first and ran towards Elena. Helping her get up, I heard grunts and groans from the fallen vampire. In a flash, he was up. Before I or Stefan could do anything. He was gone.

Elena unwrapped her arms around me and ran towards Stefan's embrace while I stared at the half-open door leading to the backyard. Stefan gave me a look while he tried to calm my best friend down. I knew what he was trying to say. Nodding with a word. I swallowed and wordlessly stalked upstairs to call his brother even though the thought of it made my skin crawl.

* * *

"What happened?" Damon questioned as I begrudgingly let him into the Gilbert house. I stared at him with my jaws clenched, more annoyed at myself for being so pathetic and weak than his presence. His eyes scanned my face, checking for any injuries. "You look fine." He stated after a second.

I scoffed and folded my arms around myself. "It's not me who was just attacked." I retorted, thinking about how I did nothing to save Elena.

Damon said nothing but just quietly. "You're ignoring me." He stated, pausing at the foot of the staircase.

"It's nothing personal. I just have a lot on my mind." Without another word, I glided towards the living room. This time, he followed silently.

In the living room, Elena sat on the love-seat. She clutched her arms around herself as she rocked herself back and forth. "Elena?" I called out.

She stared up at me with her wide doe eyes and sprang up to give me a hug, pulling me down with her. I took a seat next to her and patted her back to soothe her while Stefan took a seat on her side while Damon stood in front of us. "Tell Damon what happened." I gently coaxed her as she sniffled quietly.

"A vampire attacked me." Elena breathed out, swallowing painfully as she clutched her throat.

"How did he get in?" Damon asked as he paced around the room. His eyes met mine and we both knew we were thinking the same thing.

"He was invited in."

I fidgeted with my dress and stared at Elena. "How?" I asked, knowing her to be too cautious to let someone strange into her house. In all the danger, I had forgotten to ask Elena about the vampire and how he managed to get in.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night." Stefan stated.

I made a face as I let go of Elena. Had to hand it to this guy. He was smart. He knew what he was doing. This meant one thing. He wasn't a new vampire like Vicki or Logan. He was probably around the same age as the Salvatores or older. "He's creative." Elena gave me a deadpan look while Stefan stared at me incredulously. "What? I'm just saying…"

"Well, he gets points for that." Damon agreed with me and turned to stare at us while I made a face. For once, he and I were one the same side. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"No." Elena shook her head. "He was too busy trying to kill me." She added sarcastically. I snorted and rolled my eyes as I folded my arms around myself.

Stefan leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at his brother. "And you have no idea who this is?"

"No." Damon breathed out. Stefan and I shared a look. We didn't believe him for one second. He could spare us the excuses. It hadn't been long since he had been in this town and most if not all of the trouble here was caused by him. "Don't look at me like that, you two." He narrowed his eyes at Stefan and I, peering down at me while I sighed. Damon, then turned his attention to his brother and gave him a look. "I told you we had company."

Elena gasped and leaned into her boyfriend in fear. "You think there's more than one?" She asked with her eyes wide.

"We don't know."

I stared at the floor and took a deep breath. I was so tired of this already. "No but there probably are at least a few. After all we don't know who turned Logan Fell." I turned my gaze away from the floor to stare at Damon.

His jaws clenched and he swallowed heavily like he was hiding something before Damon looked away. He didn't comment on what I had said but I knew that Logan told him something. There was no way I believed the fact that a new vampire bested him when said vampire was down already. He was hiding something. Without another word, Damon sauntered over to the couch and took a seat on the arm of the couch next to me.

I threw a look at Stefan, telling him we needed to talk about this. He nodded as he turned his attention back to his older brother. "Damon, he was invited in." Stefan began again trying to placate the tension that had started to grow in the room. Damon nodded, understanding what Stefan was hinting at. I rolled my eyes and tilted my head. For a couple of over hundred year old vampires, they sucked at hunting other vampires.

"Then we go get him tonight." Damon replied, going back to his usual cocky self as he mindlessly played with a few loose strands of my hair. God, I hated how easily he could just ignore everything.

I groaned and gave him a side eye look, shrugging his hands off of me. "Who's 'we'? Don't you mean Stefan and you?" I retorted back, clearly tired of this night already. "Elena and I have a school dance to get to. You—" I gestured to him. "—have your own problems to clean up."

"Well, clearly. It's not mine anymore or Stefan's problem—" He leaned down and fired back. "—Since Elena was also attacked and I'm sure this guy is also the one who totalled your car. So, I'm just saying."

"Okay but—"

"Why? You scared, firefly?"

"Ava has a point." Stefan cut in. I sighed in relief. Finally, someone here is using their brains. If Elena and I get involved, it's more dangerous, not to mention it just paints a bigger target on Elena's back. And she's already a walking target just by existing.

Damon rolled his eyes and looked away. "Well, why don't we ask Elena?" He turned his head and stared at Elena who had been silently watching us all bicker and discuss with wide eyes. "You up for it?" He asked.

A deep breath and a sigh passed through Elena's lips before she leaned forward and gripped my arm. "What do I have to do?" She questioned, throwing me a cautionary look.

I made a noise of protest only to be ignored as Elena just shrugged in response. Damon smirked and got back up. "Let your boyfriend take you to the dance. We'll see who shows up."

"So you're gonna use Elena as a bait." I stated. "There's totally no way that could go wrong." I added sarcastically, looking away from the older Salvatore brother.

"Ava's right. That's a bad idea." Stefan remarked, putting one of his hands over Elena protectively. Once again, agreeing with me. I was starting to think maybe Stefan and I were the only ones here who were actually thinking ahead.

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe. For anyone who lives in it. It's worth a shot." Damon added, trying to convince his brother and me. I scoffed and snorted. This was a bad idea.

"I'll do it." Elena repeated again, staring at me and Stefan. She was still trying to convince us but we all knew this was a bad idea well almost everyone.

I sighed and removed her hand off my arms, getting up off the couch. Staring directly at Damon now, I put on a bitter smile. "That's great and all but how is he going to get in?" I asked folding my arms and leaning my weight on my left feet with my hands on hips. "Last I remembered, only students and chaperones with their dates are allowed into the dance." I carried on, narrowing my eyes at Damon. "And Damon is neither."

"She's right." Stefan nodded as he put his free hand under his chin in a thinking pose. "It's gonna be hard to get Damon in-"

"No it's not. I can be Ava's date." His brother cut in with ease. Damon's gaze never leaving mine. I really hated him. "Besides it's not like you have one. You don't, do you?"

"Well Tyler asked me to—" I tried to make an excuse and put a stop to this plan.

"Great. Then it's settled." Damon cut in again. I scoffed and shook my head unbelievably. "What?" He asked with a grin. "It's not like you were gonna give a Lockwood your time of the day." He did have a point.

Stefan looked at all of us anxiously. He sighed deeply after he gave me a look that it didn't matter how much he and I argued. Damon and Elena had made up their minds. Damon nodded, agreeing with Elena who again confirmed her participation in Damon's stupid and dangerous plan. I watched the three of them in silence, gnawing my lips in anxiety.

After a moment of combined silence, Elena grabbed Stefan's hand in her own and looked at him with her big doe eyes. I'll be with the three of you. I'll be safe." Stefan nodded after a while, letting Elena's words of comfort sink in. He nodded at his girlfriend once, finally convinced before he threw me and his brother a look. Damon shrugged while I sighed loudly.

This was a bad idea. There were so many things that could go wrong tonight. Without another word, we all decided to get ready to go to the dance. I ran up the stairs as quickly as I could in these heels and grabbed my bloodstone necklace, replacing the scarf with the necklace. Quietly, I ran my fingers through the chain of the necklace, contemplating all the possible outcomes of the night before heading back downstairs and following the Salvatore brothers out of the house.

* * *

"Can I just take a minute to repeat: This is a very bad idea." I stated as the four of us stepped into the gym. My eyes wandered around the decorated gym with quiet admiration with arms hooked with Damon's.

Damon gently tapped my arm. "We know." He replied back with a smirk. I scowled and unhooked my arm from his. He made a face as I let go.

"Try not to stand out or be a creep." I spoke out quietly, just so the Salvatore brothers could hear me. My gaze wandered around the gym, carefully looking out for anyone I didn't know or did know. "Most of the people here are minors."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Caroline and Bonnie dancing away on the dance floor. On the other side, I could see Kira and surprisingly Will dancing together. A smile unknowingly made its way to my face, seeing my friends genuinely enjoy themselves. My smile dropped as I turned to stare at Stefan. "Keep him in line, will you?" I asked with a sweet smile. I didn't hear Stefan's response as I walked away to try and find Bonnie and Caroline.

* * *

With a smile, I skipped over to Elena who stood at a nearby table. She looked bored as she swirled the drink in her hand. My expression was the exact opposite of hers. My face was flushed and I had a bright smile on my face. I had spent too much time dancing away with my friends instead of focusing on the task. I know. I should feel guilty but somehow, I just couldn't. I guess I trusted Stefan too much that I had let my guard down.

"What's up with Debbie Downer here?" I asked, replacing Elena's drink with some punch that was probably spiked.

Elena sighed again and gestured to Stefan who stood behind her on the lookout with Damon standing by his side. I made a sound and pursed my lips. Of course, she'd be down. Her boyfriend was too worried protecting her to have fun. I sighed and snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Look on the bright side."

"Which is?" She asked.

"If we can get rid of this leech before the night is over. You and Stefan—" I gestured to her boyfriend behind her. "—can have thee most perfect 50s date ever."

"What if we don't."

"Well I say you will." I reassured her, squeezing her hands comfortingly.

She pursed her lips and nodded unconvinced. With a sigh, she put down the cup and started fidgeting with her earrings. She wandered around the crowded gym, looking for a sign of the vampire. Elena paused and quickly stood straight. I stared at her confused before I followed her gaze to two girls. Bonnie and Caroline were walking towards us.

"Having fun?" She asked the two with a forced smile.

Caroline mimicked her and crept close to the table. "No, but this took about two hours, so I'm at least staying half of that." I snorted at her response while Caroline and Elena laughed, trying to lighten the mood. She was so true. The whole decades look was so time consuming, add in a stalker vampire and well, you have yourself a killer headache.

But Bonnie didn't react, she stared off into the distance, behind Elena and I. She was staring at Damon. "What's Damon doing here?" She asked, looking not so happy as she did before. Elena and Caroline turned to look at Damon, who was standing with Stefan on the lookout.

With a deep breath, Elena turned back around and threw me a look. I shrugged. This wasn't my idea and yet I had to take the fall for this. I sighed loudly and put down my drink. "He's...my date."

"WHAT!?" Bonnie and Caroline chorused in at the same time. "What the hell, Ava? You're the one who told me to stay away from him." Caroline carried on, starting a rant. I know she was right. I let her continue while giving Elena a look that screamed 'your fault'.

I sighed again. "He wanted to come so I asked Ava to let him be her date." Elena jumped in, trying to diffuse any tension. "I promise. He'll behave." She added.

Caroline rolled her eyes and narrowed them, staring at me and Elena. "So what is this, like, a double date now, you, Ava and the Salvatore brothers?" Caroline chimed in with a snarky voice.

"No, but if I'm gonna be with Stefan, then I have to learn to tolerate Damon. Ava's just watching out for me. It's not like I can kill him."

After a moment, Bonnie spoke up. Her eyes trained on Damon like a hunter on its prey. "There's a thought..." She mumbled.

"Sounds like a plan." I added, swirling my drink around the cup.

"Mmm. I'll help." Caroline nodded as she, Bonnie and I clinked our glasses together. I mean just because I was playing nice didn't mean I had to not plan his murder. Elena, on the other hand, stared hard at the table, trying hard to suppress her expression. Sometimes she was way too nice.

* * *

I carefully weaved through the crowd to find Dana and the other student council members. I didn't stick around to hear Elena's response. Before she could blink, I had disappeared into the crowd.

I shivered slightly. He was here. The vampire. Unfortunately, there were too many people here. I couldn't tell where or who he was. I checked every face that passed by me but nothing. Just as the chill had appeared, it disappeared. I clicked my tongue in frustration and plastered a friendly but painted smile on my face while I weaved through the crowds. There were too many eyes on me. I didn't mind, usually. This time, however, I had to find someone.

"Ava?" A soft grip on my arm was felt as someone gently turned me around. "There you are." Dana gasped with an unusually happy grin. She was drunk or high or maybe both. Either way, it was a nice change of pace. At least someone was having fun. "Here we thought, you weren't gonna show up."

"Or ditch the dance early." Aimee chimed in, taking a swing of her drink.

Chad cut in with Jeff and Will behind him. "Give Ava a break, you guys. Come on." He defended, passing me a drink. Will nodded agreeing with his friend while his arms were around Kira whose face was flushed with excitement. It was definitely odd, seeing the student council members letting loose for once. Usually they'd be ones running around everywhere but for today I guess things were different.

Carefully, I accepted the drink and took a sip of it. The cool red liquid was sweet at first as it slid down my throat burning me reducing me into a fit of coughs. An alcoholic aftertaste lingered on my tongue while I made a face. I shook my head in disappointment while the rest of the group started giggling and laughing at my reaction to the spiked punch. "Great. The student council spiked the punch bowl." I sarcastically praised the group in front of me. "Great job, you guys." Bringing the paper cup in front of me, I passed it to Dana who gulped the whole thing in one go.

Kira giggled as she hid her face in Will's arms. Her head peaked out a little as she peered at me. She was definitely drunk. "You're giving them too much credit, Rosy." She murmured. "Oh! Can I call you Rosy? It's just, it's a cute nickname and I've heard Matt Donovan also call you that along with Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett. It's fine if you don't want me to but—"

"Kira. Breathe." Will rubbed her arms comfortingly.

"Sorry, I think I had a _little_ too much punch." She apologized with a lost expression. "But yeah, they—" She gestured to the student council members. "—didn't spike the drink."

I folded my arms and took a step back, contemplating. "Then who did?" I questioned out-loud to the group in front of me.

Dana opened her mouth to speak only to get cut off by someone else. "I did." A voice answered behind me. Confused, I turned around only to be met with none other than Tyler. I turned back to give everyone a look, only to find everyone avoiding my gaze. Everyone acted like suddenly they were too busy to face me. Dana and Aimee along with Jeff started pretending to have a conversation while Kira and Will were busy with each other.

"Tyler." I greeted him with a feigned smile. "You spiked the drinks." I stated, not really surprised but surprised that he actually decided to come and find me. "I'm surprised you even showed up to the dance."

"Well, the punch needed to be spiked so here I am. Oh. This is for you." Tyler handed me a drink. Without even taking a sip, I knew it was the spiked drink. With a painted smile, gingerly I accepted the drink but not daring to take another sip. I needed to be sober tonight. "Aren't you gonna drink?"

"Ah...well..." I tried to think of an excuse. Racking my brain for something didn't really work. "The thing is...I...really really...can't..."

All of a sudden, someone took the drink out of my hands. That someone was Damon. He took the drink without any hesitation and downed it in one go. He smirked and showed off the empty cup mockingly to Tyler, handing it back to him. "Thanks for the drink." He remarked. "Now if you would excuse me, I need to borrow Ava for a second." He linked his arms with mine and tried to slowly drag me away from the group. I didn't protest.

"Wait. You're—" Tyler grabbed my other arm and tried to stop me. I shuddered and tried to pull myself free. "—um...Stefan's brother. Damien?"

"Damon. And yes. Now if you excuse **us**." Damon tried again but Tyler didn't relent. He tried protesting and tried to 'defend' me, acting like he had my best interest at heart.

I rolled my eyes, pulling back from both of them. Without doing much, I looked around to check if anyone was watching us. The student council members had all slipped off to somewhere else during Damon and Tyler's little spat. I sighed and glared at Tyler who grabbed me again. "For the love of—Let go of me." Tyler's eyes flickered to amber as his grip on me slackened as he took a step back. "Leave us alone and go get drunk or something." He nodded dumbly with a blank face as he took more steps back and turned around, leaving with no hesitation.

"Nice." Damon remarked with an awed look. "That was..." He whistled as he tilted his head to follow Tyler's movements. "...so much more effective than compulsion. More discreet. Way to go, sunshine. Anyways—"

All of sudden, a wave of fatigue washed over me and I stumbled a little. My vision blurred a little and colours swirled around me as a loud buzzing noise filled my ears. A cold sensation filled me. It felt like someone had dunked me in an ice bath.

_Then I was no longer on the dance floor. Panting and groaning, I struggled against a chained up door, trying to get out. I blinked and I was no longer struggling. I was the watcher again. Looking around, I noticed I was still in school but in the dimly lit and empty hallways. I wasn't alone. There was someone else here. I rubbed my arms comfortingly as I slowly crept towards the disturbance._

_On the other side of the hallway, Elena was turned facing me. Her eyes looked right through me before turning and pulled at a chained set of doors. Petrified, she panted and struggled against a set of locked double doors while a shadow stalked her every move. She cried out in frustration as the door would not budge. I heard her pound and push her weight against the door but it wouldn't budge. I wanted to run to her. To help her but I knew it would be useless._

_As if one cue, I watched her look around before sprinting down another hallway. I watched in silent anticipation as she threw open the doors of the cafeteria and ran inside. She ran across the room and slammed into another set of doors. Locked. The doors, most likely the ones leading outside were locked shut. I watched helplessly as Elena cried out in frustration, trying to escape._

_BANG._

_Slowly, the shadow stalked towards her and threw her aside like a rag-doll. Elena crashed onto the cold hard linoleum floor. I flinched in pain. It wasn't me, just staring at it looked like it hurt. She picked herself off the ground as the man came close to her once more. She took out a pencil from somewhere and stabbed him. The shadow hissed in pain violently before tossing her aside in anger. The doors to the cafeteria burst open as the two struggled against one another._

_Elena stood up against him but still struggled to stand still. She was limping a little. I watched in silent terror as she looked around frantically for something, anything to defend herself with. My eyes wandered around the room as well, trying to find something._

_I paused as my gaze landed on a mop and bucket. The wooden mop would make a decent weapon. Elena. I tried to shout but much to my dismay, I couldn't reach her. I struggled to give her a sign. The mop. I screamed out in my mind. Elena froze. Then she turned around and thankfully grabbed the mop. She picked up the mop while the man was hunched over. Her hands trembled in fear as she tried to break the mop in half. Her grip was tight and she brought the mop over her knees, trying to snap it in half. It didn't work. A sharp breath and another attempt. It didn't work. My stomach dropped and I turned to check on the man._

_Crack. Crack. Slowly, the man got up. His injuries, already healing as he groaned and hissed in anger. He moved his head side to side, cracking his neck. His eyes' full of poison as he narrowed them on the girl in front of him. He hissed again before pouncing on Elena, going straight through me. I shuddered and hunched over in pain as the man launched himself on Elena. She shrieked in pain as the man tried to dive into her neck._

Gasp.

"Ava?" Damon peered down at me with concern as my vision cleared slowly. My world was spinning and I almost stumbled onto the floor.

I blinked hurriedly, trying to grab onto reality. There was a haze in front of my eyes. Colors floated around like little clouds. Everyone around me was simply shapes and colors. I gasped again before trying to straighten up. This was the first time I had gone from being the person in the vision to being an observer. That never happened.

"Ava." He called out again, trying to snap me out of my haze. I gasped again and I was awake.

"The cafeteria. The vampire is trying to attack Elena there." I stated, straightening up and standing.

Damon stared at me in concern, ready to say something before he blew out a breath, frustrated. He ran his fingers through his hair before nodding. Without any delay, I led him to the cafeteria. I weaved through the crowd with ease and then broke off into a sprint the minute I got to the hallways. Damon had no trouble keeping up.

* * *

Without a word, I passed Damon a stake from my purse. He gave me a look of disbelief before he flung open the door. We both rushed into the almost empty cafeteria just as Stefan threw the vampire across the room. "Hey, dickhead." Damon called out, grabbing that vampire's attention while I silently formed a ball of light around my left hand. A light buzzing sound filled the air as lights flicked lightly for a second.

The man's head snapped to stare at Damon and me with some apprehension as he crawled backwards to create some distance. His eyes wandered, carefully assessing us. He froze when he noticed the stake in Damon's hand and the orb in mine. "...Nobody wants to kill you. We just wanna talk." Damon continued. He was clearly trying to negotiate or something.

I snorted and brought my hands forward, making the orb bigger. "Speak for yourself, Salvatore." I quietly remarked. I knew that keeping him alive was pointless. He was a vampire and he was invited in. Plus he destroyed my car.

The man grinned before he rushed towards Elena. Without hesitation, I threw the orb of light straight at him. I held my breath and watched with wide eyes as the orb struck him straight in the jaw. His face sizzled and burned. His groans of pain echoed throughout the cafeteria as he hunched over and clenched his face over in pain. Lightning shaped scars formed and healed within minutes. I was taken aback. Shocked that my aim was right but I quickly composed myself.

He groaned and tried to get up once again before Damon threw the Stefan who caught it with ease and stabbed him in the stomach, being careful to avoid his chest. I threw a dissatisfied look at Stefan before rushing to help Elena. Damon followed after me, wordlessly. I stood next to Elena and started checking for any injuries while Damon stood guard over us both, not that I needed it while Stefan kept an eye on that man. I knew where this was heading. It was clear the brothers wanted to interrogate him.

"Now you feel like talkin'?" Stefan questioned, still holding onto the edge of the stake.

"Screw you." The vampire spat out.

Stefan sighed as he dug the stake in deeper. The man groaned in pain. "Wrong answer." He hissed, pushing the stake in a bit more. "Why are you doing this?" He continued.

"Because it's fun." Throwing a glance at the incapacitated vampire, I scoffed. He had a crazed look in his eyes like he didn't have a care in the world or that he was having the time of his life not someone who was on the brink of death for the second time in his life. This interrogation was not going to work. He was better off dead.

The stake was pushed in more. A loud squelching sound made my ears hurt and almost covered them in disgust. The vampire hissed in pain and groaned but the crazed look didn't disappear. "What do you want with Elena?" Stefan asked.

The man hunched over and panted loudly. "...She looks like Katherine." Katherine. Again. I should start keeping a count on the times she's screwed us over without even being here.

A moment of silence took over as we all stared at each other with wide eyes. Before I could stop myself I took a step forward. "You knew Katherine?" Damon and I asked at the same time. Damon stared at me in suspicion while I just shrugged. This was getting too messy.

A bitter and maniacal laughter bubbled out of that man. "Oh. You thought you were the only ones." He laughed, pausing to gasp in pain as he stared straight at Damon. "...You don't even remember me."

Damon breathed out loudly and leaned over Noah with a look of fierce desperation. "Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?" My head snapped to stare at him. The tomb. I thought he had given up but no, he had not. There was twenty-seven vampires in that place. Twenty-seven, if let out would wreak havoc on this town. Katherine was not worth the lives of everyone in this town.

"No."

Stefan and I shared a look of concern before he leaned back down and drove the stake in deeper. I swallowed thickly and tried to calm myself.

"...The grimoire." The man spit out in pain.

"Where is it?" Damon asked.

The stake was pushed in deeper. I felt someone put their head on my shoulder. Elena put her head on my shoulder. She couldn't stomach this afterall. "Check the journal." The man gasped out. _The Journal?_ I questioned myself. There was at least fifteen or twenty journals from that era. "The journal." He repeated again. "Johnathan's journal. Johnathan Gilbert's." His hissed, repeating his words once more but this time putting an emphasis on whose journal.

I froze when a sudden chill came over me. There was another vampire here. With everyone distracted, my gaze wandered around the cafeteria until it settled on the double doored entrance. There, a small shadow peeking through the windowed doors. I titled my head in confusion and blinked twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Nope. It was still there.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a better look of that person but I knew he or she was definitely working with the vampire hunched in pain. The chill made me gasp as I stumbled back. Elena removed her head from my shoulders and stared at me in concern. My back hit the wall as I stared at the struggling man in front of me. "...He's not alone. There's another here." I gasped out, trying to control the suffocating chill.

All eyes were on me. The vampire on the cafeteria floor moaned in pain. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." He spat out.

Stefan shoved the splintered wooden mop handle deeper into his chest causing him to hunch over again in pain. "Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked.

"Who else is there?" Damon questioned.

"No. You're gonna have to kill me." The man shook his head, his eyes were hazy and his desperation leaked into his voice.

I rolled my eyes, bored. This was such a waste of time. They were better off killing him. "You heard the man." I drawled out, still glaring at the man.

Stefan stared at me annoyed while Damon rolled his eyes and nodded. The man stared at me hatefully and made one last attempt to gain the upper hand. He jumped at me, the minute Stefan removed the stake but he wasn't quick enough as Stefan shoved the stake straight through his heart. Elena gasped in shock and jumped back. Stefan let go.

With a deep sigh, Stefan took out the makeshift stake. He took a few steps back, letting the vampire fall face down. He gripped the vampire's head and pulled him back. Stefan threw one last look at his brother and me before plunging the wooden splint straight into his chest. A gasp was heard.

I recoiled in disgust and horror as the man's face was stuck in a permanent horrified state. His skin turned grey and ashy just like Vicki's did the night of the carnival. Deep grey veins protruded through his skin as he struggled to hold on to life. With one more grunt, he was dead. His eyes turned dark and then back to a muddy brown before it rolled to the back of his head. He was dead.

"What do we...how are you gonna find the others now?" Elena asked, taking a step forward.

"He had to die." Damon simply stated. I nodded, agreeing with him.

I hunched down and fumbled around his pockets for a sign of identification or something. Nothing. Whoever he was, he didn't want to be found or he didn't have any identity in the first place. Stefan stood above me. He gave me a look, asking me if I found anything. I simply shook my head and got up. Dusting my dress clean, being careful not to get blood on the dress or shoes.

"But…" She tried to protest.

Stefan sighed and closed in on his girlfriend to comfort her. "Elena, he's been invited in." He tried again.

"He literally tried to kill us. 'Lena." I added with a deadpan look. He seemed friendly too. Elena nodded understandingly as she wrapped her arms around herself.

All of a sudden Damon and Stefan looked at each other and nodded. Damon left without saying anything. I stared at Stefan in confusion. "Someone saw us." He said before he took Elena's hand and led her back to the gym, beckoning me to follow him. But I didn't follow. Instead, I went after Damon.

* * *

Quietly, I trailed a little further behind Damon as he walked out of the cafeteria and down a corridor. Suddenly, he disappeared. I huffed in annoyance and tried to find Damon. I ran through the many corridors before I finally found him. His back was turned to me in the dimly lit hallways. He faced another man. I groaned as I could not see his face at all. I didn't have night vision. All I knew was this man was human.

I crept behind a set of lockers and craned my head forward, being very still. "—Looking for Ms. Hilden…" I heard the man answer. I immediately recognized the voice. It was none other than Mr Saltzman. I silently cursed Damon and prayed in my head that he wouldn't kill the only decent history teacher I've had in my life.

Carefully, I stepped back and went in another direction. I needed to get Mr Saltzman away from Damon. I bit my lips, trying to think of a way. I paused and quickly walked to the gym. Outside, two boys who looked around Jeremy's age leaned against the wall. They were probably stuck doing extra credit like Jeremy.

"Hey! You Two!" I called out to the two boys in front of me while I craned my head around the corner of the hallway to stare at Mr Saltzman and Damon. The atmosphere between them looked heavy and I worried for Mr Saltzman's life. Damon was a vampire, there was no telling what lengths he would go to keep his and Stefan's secret.

Turning back to stare at the boys, I gestured to them to follow me. Their eyes flashed to a vibrant amber as they nodded. I guess I didn't need to use my voice for this after all. The two boys followed my gestures and stalked towards me. For a moment, I felt guilty doing this. That was until their thoughts started pouring into mine.

I knew what they were thinking. Their thoughts were not pretty. I suppressed the feeling of disgust and switched my attention to them. "What?" They both chorused.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to block at their disgusting thoughts. It was bad. "...I need you two to fight." They stared at me for a few seconds before staring at each other. I made a sound of frustration before trying again. "Hit each other. Start a fight." I commanded. "Don't stop until Mr Saltzman tells you to stop." I added.

Their eyes flickered to amber and they nodded. The boy in the blue shirt threw the first punch. A loud crunch was heard as his fist met his friend's nose. The boy in the yellow shirt, recoiled and grabbed his nose in pain and hissed. He got up with a blank expression and punched the blue boy, drawing blood. I looked away in disgust, almost regretting what I had done. "Oh. If anyone asks—" I stopped them. Their dull lifeless eyes snapped to mine. It was unnerving how lifeless they looked, it was like they were my puppets. "—you two were fighting because he insulted you about something like I don't know your family or something. Make it convincing." The boys nodded once more before carrying on with their deadly dance.

* * *

"—Is everything you're telling me the truth?" Damon asked, clearly in the middle of compelling Mr Saltzman.

In a daze, Mr Saltzman answered. My eyes met Damon's as his jaws clenched. "Then forget we had this conversation."

I watched Damon walk away and Mr Saltzman stand still for a moment. I swallowed heavily, clutching my necklace. Without hesitation, I pinched my cheeks to make them red like I had been running around all night. I didn't wait any longer. I ran towards Mr Saltzman and Damon who had come around the corridor and had seen me. "Mr Saltzman!" I called out, pretending to pant loudly. His gaze snapped to stare at me.

"Ava? What's wrong?" He asked, now ignoring Damon.

I pointed toward another end of the hallway. "A fight." I gasped out. "There's a fight going on in front of the gym." I continued. "It's bad. There's blood and...and—" Mr Saltzman nodded and broke off into the direction of the fight.

The minute he was gone, I stopped panting and straightened up. I flicked my curls behind me and smirked. "You're welcome." I remarked quietly to Damon who stood on the other side. He had followed me and watched it all play out. He stared at me, slightly impressed. I didn't give him a chance to say anything before I gestured to the gym. "We should get back…"

* * *

Damon spun me around with ease while I looked like I would rather be anywhere but here. But it was either dancing with the devil or Tyler Lockwood. And I rather skip the awkwardness. His face was slightly red from the alcohol that I had no doubt Tyler had snuck in despite all the chaperones and teachers present. I mean Tyler did spike the punch. He looked too happy for a man on a mission to open a tomb full of half-dying vampires. I scowled as I let him move me like a ragdoll.

"Y'know, one of these days you have to admit—" Damon started.

I snorted. "—that you're a creep."

"Nope. That you're attracted to me."

"You're right." I said. We stopped as Damon stared at me with wide eyes, not expecting me to agree with what he said. This time, I took the lead and smirked. "My fist is totally attracted to you. And it would love to meet you. Violently."

He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "So violent. Is that your way of saying—"

"Damon." I cut him off again. "Back there with Mr Saltzman. I didn't do it for you. I did it for him. The last thing I want is for another person to die because of you. So stop thinking that we're friends or something. We're not." I looked away and from the corner of my eyes, I could see Stefan and Elena. They looked happy as Stefan led Elena to the dance floor. I looked away to gaze at Damon who too was staring at the couple but he had a look of envy painted on his face. His gaze was trained on Elena.

With a deep breath, I decided to stop what he was thinking. "I just wanna pass history. Nothing personal." I added, diverting his attention back to me. The last thing I wanted was for this night to spiral even more.

He snorted and ran a finger through a strand of my hair which had become loose. Damon pulled back and looked around before he leaned in. His mouth on my ear as he dropped his voice to almost whisper. "You act like I have a habit of killing or eating your teachers." A shiver passed through my spine as I tried to suppress the chill in me from being so close to a vampire. "...I'm not as bad as you think."

I pulled back and smiled at him. "I'll believe that when I see it." I retorted without missing a beat. He didn't say anything but simply spun me around and swayed me on the dance floor.

"Why don't we talk about something else other than the burning hatred you feel for me..." A suggestion by Damon, no doubt to distract me from this hellish dance.

"Fine." I gripped his hands tight in response. "...The 50s—" I started, looking around the gym and in it's 50s decoration. "What was it like? You lived through it and I'm sure you were in Mystic Falls at that time as well."

"Hmm. The 50s. I don't really remember much about it. Nothing memorable really." He spun me around and dipped me low before pulling me back up. "...And how do you know I was here."

"A feeling."

"A feeling?" Now it was his grip that tightened on mine. It felt painful. I tried to pull away from him but he didn't let me. A long conflicted look flashed through his face as his stormy eyes looked blank for a second like he was thinking of a nightmare or a memory forgotten. "...I was here but then I was not."

"So you were passing by?" I questioned, still trying to get him to loosen his grips on me. He didn't answer. His eyes were still unfocused and he looked pained. "Hey, you okay?"

He blinked twice and almost mechanically, he snapped back to his usual self. "Why? You suddenly care?" He asked with a smirk.

"You wish." I spat out. His grip slackened. I almost pulled away but I stopped. "...You looked like I asked you some deep stuff. I only asked about the 50s..."

"It wasn't good. Not for me at least. Then again, I barely remember anything from then apart from James Dean, poodle skirts and uh...Elvis, I guess." He shrugged, his smirk still ever present on his face but I could tell that his mask was cracking. "Why don't we talk about another time period? Ask me about Titanic or the 80s."

But I didn't relent. I swallowed and tried again. This might be a crack in his armor. "Something happened in the 50s, huh." I quietly remarked.

I expected Damon to rebuff my attempts or just stop and leave but he didn't. Carefully, Damon pulled me into a corner. He swayed me across the dance floor, away from his brother and Elena. "You're right something did happen." My eyes widened as it snapped to stare at him. He blew out a puff of air and let go of me, taking a step back. "...Y'know you should have met me in the 1800s, you would have liked me. I was a _real_ gentleman." He finished with a smile.

Folding my arms, I scoffed. I knew exactly what kind of person he was. Well, Lydia did. She watched as her childhood friend broke her heart and humiliated her family all for a woman who probably didn't even care about him. "I'm sure I wouldn't, Mr Salvatore." I quietly replied, taking out a pin from my hair. Lydia's horrified face at Katherine flashed through my mind. How anyone could love a monster was beyond me. "Is Katherine worth all of this?" I questioned out loud.

Without looking back or expecting an answer, I threw open the back gym doors and walked out. The cool winter night air immediately slammed into me, making me shiver. Bringing my hands together, I rubbed them for some warmth. A slight glow appeared between them, engulfing me in it's warmth. I clutched my hands and it was gone just like that but the feeling of warmth lingered. A small smile made its way onto my face as I stared at the starry sky above me. I could feel Damon's eyes on me. He had followed me outside.

The sound of gravel crunching beneath his feet was the only sound I heard along with the faded out music from the dance. For a moment, he didn't say anything just enjoying the silence in peace. He sighed deeply before turning to face me. "...When I had nothing, the thought of Katherine. Her face. Her voice. Her everything. Kept me from going insane. She's worth it to me."

"What about Stefan?" I replied, taking down my hair and letting it gently blow in the winter air. "Where was he?"

" **Where was he?** " Damon echoed. "That's the question, I used to ask myself every single night and day in that—" He never finished his sentence before turning away from me.

I did catch a glimpse of his face. It was dimly illuminated by the faded lights from the gym. Black veins had started protruding from his face as his eyes had darkened. I swallowed and took a step back. My hand unconsciously went to my neck. The necklace was still there.

"...It's funny how you think vampires are the only things capable of being monsters." He began, slowly turning around. His eyes flashed between black and it's usual electric blue. "But y'know, the way I've seen it. It's humans who are the real monsters."

I was taken back by his words. My hands dropped to my sides and I stared at the ground beneath me conflicted. He wasn't wrong but why did he have to say it out loud.

"Is that what happened in the 50s?" I asked again. Clearly, I had become that girl. The girl who was stupid enough to interrogate a killer when really she should be running.

"Something like that..." Damon nodded, staring at the sky once more.

We didn't say anything for a while. I almost felt bad for Damon. Whatever had happened back then clearly messed him up. But I still couldn't trust him enough to let him in so without another word, I went back inside, leaving him out alone in the cold with his own thoughts and memories.

* * *

> _8th December 2009,_
> 
> _Another day, another dead vampire and another day ruined._
> 
> _The dance was a bad idea. We should've skipped it. I spent two hours getting ready for no reason. I did have some fun but for like twenty or ten minutes before things went from good to worse. And I can't even be mad at Damon for this. This wasn't on him but I can blame Katherine. I don't even know her but from the memories I've seen, she's my least favorite person right now and the bane of my existence. Couldn't she have just lived a quiet life as a vampire? I'm sure it's not that hard._
> 
> _At least the guy who was stalking Elena and crashed my car is dead, thanks to Stefan. Even so, for some weird reason, I don't feel relieved. Especially now that he gave Damon hope for a way to open the tomb. I'm already dreading this._
> 
> _That's not the only thing I'm worried about. Tonight was a nightmare for a reason. Dead vampire at school dance and his friend plus the tomb are not the only things I have to worry about. I can also add Mr Saltzman. Alaric Saltzman, the new history teacher. Probably the only good history teacher I've had. But there's something 'off' about him. I want to be wrong about this, I really do but tonight my suspicion grows. He just happened to follow us to the cafeteria and see us kill the vampire. Sounds plausible, if I didn't smell vervain on him. I grew up around that plant so I know that I'm not wrong about this._
> 
> _I'm hoping Mr Saltzman is not an enemy or someone we need to watch out for. The last thing I want is to add him to the list of problems I have. The tomb and Damon already occupy a big part of the list. Even then Mr Saltzman is not an ordinary teacher._
> 
> _This is all I have time for tonight, I'd write more but my head is spinning and I can barely keep my eyes open. I guess I used too much of my powers again but at least I'm getting better at controlling this._
> 
> _Until next time,_
> 
> _-Ava R. Fitzroy_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Edit all the old chapter a little bit. I changed the name of Ava's ancestor from Serena to Lydia. This was a personal preference. I didn't think Serena sounded era appropriate. There may be more edits in the future. Who knows?
> 
> Anyways, speaking of ancestors. I mentioned before Lydia (Serena)'s memories weren't the only ones Ava was going to see. As Ava get more use to her powers she's gonna see more and possibly do more. Maybe even see other non-Fitzroy memories too. But yes, her family is interesting and has a long history so we'll be seeing them pop up more frequently.


	14. Poisoned From The Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories of 1864 keeps haunting the residents of Mystic Falls as Ava is tormented by the echoes of her ancestors past deeds.

Chapter 13: Poisoned From The Roots

* * *

**_Unknown, September 1864,_ **

_“Stop the carriage.” Theodore, Lydia’s cousin commanded as he leaned closer to the window._

_All of a sudden, the carriage halted to a stop. A mixture of confusion and fear spread across Lydia’s face before she swallowed it up. She stared at James and Theodore with wide eyes. “...I thought we were a few hours away? Why are we stopping here?” She asked them with some hesitation._

_Her brother groaned in response and shook his head. “I don’t know, Lia.” He breathed out._

_“...I saw something.” Theodore replied quietly as he armed himself with a rifle. He loaded it up with wooden bullets before he swung open the door of the carriage and gestured to them to follow him._

_James ran his fingers through his hair before carefully taking out a strange and unfamiliar device that seemed to be roughly the size of his wrist. I watched in silence as he slipped it on over his wrist. He secured the watch-like device quickly and loaded it up with some wooden bullets before he passed the bow at his feet to Lydia for her safety. With a deep breath, he followed after Theodore._

_Not wanting to stay behind, Lydia picked up the bow that James had passed to her and slung it over her shoulder, being sure to carry some arrows as well. Silently, she counted the arrows in the quiver, letting her fingers trace over the marking on it. The Fitzroy family crest delicately marked all of the arrows. She nodded to herself for courage and stepped out of the carriage. The driver stood guarding the carriage with an axe in his hand. He nodded in a silent greeting before leading her to the men that had disappeared into the woods.._

_Off the path where they had stopped their carriage, another was overturned and abandoned. James gestured for them to a stop as he carefully inspected the insides. He disappeared inside the carriage and Lydia held her breath, silently praying for her brother’s safety. On the side, Theodore kept watch._

_“I found something.” James called out. They all rushed to where he was and stared at the spot on the steps of the carriage._

_It was barely illuminated by the pale moonlight but from slight iron-like stench I could tell it was blood. Lydia swallowed heavily and looked around. I could feel Lydia starting to panic as she brought her weapon forward. She could barely hear her brother share his findings over her deafening thoughts but she managed to give a small nod in response._

_Theodore looked off to the distance into the woods that the path led to. I silently watched him in anticipation. His sharp eyes narrowed as he focused on that single spot. “Over there!” He harshly whispered to us before breaking into a sprint towards the direction where he had kept watch over._

_Dead leaves crunched beneath Lydia’s feet as she tread through the deep and dark forest. Taking each step in a measured and controlled manner, they reached a clearing. Two bodies were splayed on the floor. Their throats slashed and clothes ripped with bloody scratches all over them like a wild animal had attacked them._

_The carriage driver who had lingered behind Lydia produced a lighter and lit up a lantern. He brought it closer as my brother and cousin hunched down over the two dead bodies to examine them. “Looks like an animal attack.” James stated, standing back up._

_“Ma...ma...maybe some wolves got to them?” The carriage driver offered as he shivered in fear._

_Cautiously, Lydia glanced back at him. She had even forgotten that he was here with all that was going on. Without a word, she took a step towards one of the corpses. Carefully, she bent down. Making sure that her riding boots were not anywhere close to touching the corpse, she examined the corpse. She beckoned the driver to come forward and he did so. In the dim flickering flame of the candle, I could somewhat make out the markings on the cadaver. It looked like an animal attack, then why…_

_“This was staged.” Lydia announced, taking a step back. The three men snapped to stare at her in disbelief with the driver ready to reinstate his belief._

_Lydia rolled her eyes and let out a deep breath. “...Their necks, it seems like it was the only part that was really targeted.” She pointed back onto the road. “Their carriage was overturned but nothing was broken and James—” She gestured to her brother, remembering his findings from before. “—You only found a few specks of blood. If this was an animal attack_ — _”_

_“—It’s too...” James replied. His eyes moved over the two corpses and flickered to the road._

_“—clean?” Theodore added as he pulled out a dagger from underneath his coat and started playing with it. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he licked his lips in anticipation. A slow and sadistic grin formed on his face as he clicked his tongue, getting up to stare at them. “You two know what this means?”_

_No one dared to answer. We all knew what we were thinking but looking at Theodore’s expression, it seemed like Lydia was more concerned about her cousin than whatever was lurking in the woods. “We should head back and inform the rest of the family.” James said after a brief pause of silence._

_“Where’s the fun in that?”_

_“People are dead, Theo and the killers could be out there.” Lydia chastised as she took out a handkerchief to cover her nose with to mask the overwhelming scent of blood._

_“All the more reason to hunt those demons down.” He bit back, coming face to face with me. “Besides—” He turned around and gestured to the bodies around us. “—This is enough proof that they’ve gotten too brave.”_

_“Theo’s right.” James chimed in. Theodore beamed brightly at his cousin while Lydia, behind her handkerchief, scowled at them both. “_... _which is why we need to tell the council as soon as we get back.” James finished with a stern look and turned around to go back to their carriage._

_The carriage driver sighed in relief as he scrambled to follow James back. Theodore and Lydia lingered behind. He scowled as his eyes burned with anger before swiftly turning around and stomping back. Lydia waited a few moments before she followed him back to safety._

* * *

I grumbled quietly under my breath as I walked down the almost empty hallways of the school with a travel mug of coffee in one hand. My camera was hung around my neck as I strutted down the halls, making my way to my locker. I know I was early but anyone would be if they were kept up by their ancestors' memories.

Almost throwing myself at my locker, I stopped a few feet away and carefully opened. Tiredly, I put away things and stared at myself in the small mirror inside. My face looked almost lifeless if you ignored the concealer, lip gloss, mascara and the blush. Yep, I was wearing blush. It was either that or go for the zombie look which was so not cute. I silently cursed my inability to not sleep and dream normally as the cause for my corpse-like appearance. It didn’t exactly help that every single thing in my life was going wrong including the ‘light’ thing.

Bringing my braided hair forward above my shoulders, I gave one last glance to the mirror before slamming the locker door shut only to jump back. Startled, I clutched my chest and heaved lightly.

I shivered a little as a chill passed through me. "Ava." Stefan greeted me with a serious tone.

"Stefan." I greeted back, plastering a smile on my face and turning around to greet him.

At that, Stefan walked around and came to stand next to my locker. He and I shared a look before he clasped his hands and leaned over to me. "We need to talk." he said, giving me a knowing look.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Course we do. When do we don't." I mumbled under my breath.

"It's about—"

"—Damon?" I cut Stefan off and stared at my painted nails, bored. "Not here." I gestured to a classroom across the hallway.

Without another word, I led the couple to the old art studio-like classroom. Looking around for anyone, I carefully unlocked the door with the key that I definitely did not steal from Mrs. Saunders.

The classroom was almost abandoned, no longer used for anything really. The walls were painted exactly like the other classrooms but if anyone looked closer they'd see dried paint splatters across them. It was fairly neat for an abandoned classroom. It was also where I spent my free classes. I aimlessly walked towards one of the counters and hopped onto it, sitting on it with my legs crossed. I swirled my coffee mug before bringing it to my lips. I drank two sips of the warm liquid before I turned my attention to the anxious couple in front of me.

"So what did Damon do this time?" I questioned.

"Nothing yet." Stefan added. "He wants to find the Grimoire of Emily Gilbert and open the tomb...and I offered to help."

"...Y'know what a Grimoire is right?" He asked. "It's like...a witch's cookbook."

I shook my head, holding myself back from laughing. Imagine telling Sheila Bennett that or Grandma Janine. Hilarious. "It's not a... y'know my grandma was a witch right?"

“Right...sorry. I assumed.” Stefan smiled awkwardly as he rubbed his hands together, embarrassed. He probably thought I was like Elena or Bonnie. This was becoming a habit of his, a bad one at that. He either assumed I knew nothing or I knew too much. There was no in-between for him.

I sat up straight. I sighed and stared at the floor. “Anyways. You didn’t hear this from me but...last I heard, Emily Bennett’s grimoire or anything she had really were destroyed after she was burnt at stake.”

He shook his head.

“It wasn’t?”

“Not really. The founders must’ve known it was important and hid it somewhere and Johnathan Gilbert knew where.”

“The Gilbert journal.”

“—It has the location of grimoire.”

“That makes sense. She did spell the—” I swallowed my words in an instant and shook my head, quickly composing myself before Stefan realized what I was going to say. He and his brother were still too busy with their petty feud over Katherine to even think about the Gilbert device and I didn’t know yet if I wanted them to know or I could trust them to know. “—tomb that trapped the vampires.” I carried on like nothing. “So where does this leave us?” I questioned out loud.

Stefan sighed and clasped his hands together as he leaned back on the old blackboard behind him. “I told Damon that I’d help him find the journal.”

I snorted and stared at him with a look of shock and disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head. Like a fish out of water, I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to digest Stefan’s words while staring at him with a tilted head and wide eyes. He really was serious. I could tell him in six different languages including sign that this was a terrible idea.

After a moment of silence and a few sips of coffee later, I decided to say something. "So lemme get this straight—" I began again. "You—" I gestured to Stefan. ”—offered your help to Damon to find Emily's Grimoire." Stefan nodded.

"I have a plan." Stefan cut.

"Of course you do."

"I'm not gonna give him what he wants."

"That's a terrible plan but go on. Humor me."

"We'll find the journal before him and hide or destroy the Grimoire before Damon finds it."

"Gotcha." I stared at him again. He didn’t look confident enough which really wasn’t helping me. There was a slight look of anxiety and fear of it all going wrong clearly on his face. "... I'm sorry but this plan sucks." Hopping off the counter, I grabbed my bag and prepared for class. "Look if Damon realizes we screwed him over, he'll flip and do something crazy. Maybe go on a rampage or something then the tomb being opened will be the least of our worries."

"—which is where you come in." Stefan stated. I gestured at myself with a dumbfounded look. "Damon trusts you, maybe even cares for you. So I was thinking…"

I threw Stefan a look of disbelief. "Did you get your daily fix of bunny blood, Stef?” I questioned out-loud before continuing. “Cause the more you speak, the more worried I am over the people of this town." I ran my fingers through my braid and blinked.

"Damon trusts you a little and I think you could help us. Either by keeping him busy or by looking through your ancestors' journals."

“Stefan—” I tried.

"Ava…" Stefan cut me off. “If things go south, you can always defend yourself, y’know with—”

I clicked my tongue and sighed. “That’s great and all but...” I trailed off before bringing my left hand in front of me, palm open. My eyes darted to the open palm and I squinted hard, trying to conjure up a ball of light. Tiny orbs of light floated in the air as it swirled around in my hand, slowly forming a bigger orb for a moment before it started flickering. I grunted in pain and tried to form the orb again or do anything really. But it just wouldn’t stay together. I stopped and pulled back my hand, shoving it back inside my pocket.

Stefan stared at me with a look of concern while I pursed my lips and looked away. “I guess I might’ve overdone a bit.” I added quietly. I shut my mouth and stared at him, ready to bite back. But I chose not to say anything.

I glanced at him for a while and closed my eyes. Stefan owed me big time. Taking a deep breath "But I'll take distracting Damon over the journal duty. There’s at least fifty journals, I’d have to go through. And if this plan of yours backfires...just know I warned you." I finished with a sing-songy voice.

Stefan nodded understandingly. "We're all on the same page. Elena and I are gonna look for the journal after-school at hers. Be careful."

"Do I have a choice? It's either that or..." I bit back and sighed.

The loud shrill of the school bell stopped me mid-sentence. The two of us stared at each other before giving each other a determined look. Before I could blink, Stefan was gone. Of course, he was. I sighed and started getting all my things together, ready for class. I paused mid-action as my phone flashed in my other hand, indicating I had a call.

I scrunched up my brows and stared hard at the flip phone in my hand. My grip on the phone tightened as Damon's nickname flashed on the screen several times. Speak of the devil and he shall call.

Biting my lips, I hesitated picking up the phone, only to put it down. I waited for the phone to stop ringing before I turned it off and took out the batteries for good measure. I could work on Stefan's plans later. For now, I needed to focus on school.

Without another thought, I left the room, making sure to lock it. Absentmindedly, I clutched the bloodstone necklace on my chest as a form of comfort. Sighing, I blinked tiredly before making my way to my first class of the day.

* * *

**_Fitzroy Manor, September 1864,_ **

_"Apologies for the wait." Lydia quickly bowed and apologized to the two middle-aged women in front of me._

_Mrs Fitzroy, an elegant yet kind woman smiled politely at Lydia as she nodded as a sign of acknowledgment. “Did you bring what I asked you to.”_

_Lydia nodded once before handing the package in her over to her mother. Her mother carefully examined the package before nodding and passed it over to a strict-looking woman who sat across her. Mrs Fell sat straight with her arms neatly on her lap with air of disinterest and boredom yet at the same time you could tell that she was more than aware of her surroundings._

_“You look well.” Mrs Fell remarked as she stared at Lydia._

_“Thank you.” Lydia replied._

_“...You poor thing. It was dreadful what that Salvatore boy did.” She spat out ‘Salvatore’ with a hint of disgust while appearing to be sympathetic to me. Lydia knew that Mrs Fell simply didn’t care to comfort Lydia but was instead showing her dislike of Damon and the Salvatores. As far as Lydia knew, he had not been quite liked due to wild-nature. “...Giuseppe and Lillian should’ve raised that boy better.”_

_“It’s hardly Lillian’s fault that her boys turned out that way. She passed when they were just young after all.” Lydia’s mother quickly jumped in as she put down her teacup. “Besides Stefan isn’t all that bad.”_

_“The rumors say that he too is also involved with Miss Pierce.” She added with a disgusted look on her face. “That ‘Miss Pierce’, who does she think she is?” Mrs Fell muttered as I smiled awkwardly and coughed._

_“Well it’s just mindless talk. It has no meaning nor is it relevant to us. After all, the Salvatores and we have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Lydia’s mother smiled politely with as much warmth as she could muster. “Here.” Gently, she handed the package over to Mrs Fell. It was clear to me that she had overstayed her welcome._

_Stiffly, she accepted the package. She stared at the package and brought it close to her face. No doubt to check if it was really the herb that she and the town needed. For a moment, she did nothing before she let out a sigh of relief._

_“This will do for now.” She spoke out._

_“If you need more, we are always here.” Mrs Fitzroy replied with a polite smile gracing her face._

_Mrs Fell said nothing in response but instead looked around. "...Going somewhere?" She asked, staring outside._

_Lydia followed her gaze to the window. There, servants were running around hectically with luggages from the storehouse, trying to keep to the schedule. Lydia clicked her tongue in annoyance. I knew why Lydia was annoyed. The family was behind schedule. Luggages should have been packed by now. The founders still had no idea what they were planning and they intended to stay that way or so they tried anyways. Mrs Fell’s sharp gaze fell on Lydia and her mother, trying to decipher their thoughts. Effortlessly, Lydia pulled on a mask and smiled politely. I almost felt awed by her. Keyword, almost._

_"Not quite." Mrs Fitzroy replied, her eyes wide and face strained._

_"We're thinking of temporarily relocating…for a vacation." Turning the bloodstone pendant in her hands, she added. It wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the truth. I knew Mrs Fell would think this was them running away after being humiliated by the Salvatores yet it was the furthest from the truth._

_Mrs Fell's face softened as she nodded understandingly. "These times **are** dark." _

_"Indeed."_

_"—Especially for a young woman like you. Be vigilant." Mrs Fell hunched forward and grabbed Lydia’s hands, staring at her with wide eyes._

_"Always am." I replied back with a courteous smile before I handed the package to Mrs Fell._

_"Actually, if I may..." I paused and signalled Winnie to come forward. Winnie came forward and handed me a velvet pouch._

_Lydia picked up the pouch and opened it, checking if the contents were there. Satisfied, she handed it to Mrs Fell. "Father wanted to give these out at the next founders meeting but...we may not be here."_

_"What is it?"_

_"Vervain seeds." Mrs Fitzroy answered, sipping her tea._

_Mrs Fell looked pleased and nodded approvingly. "This will do well." She mumbled under her breath. "I suppose I can trust you both." She added as an afterthought. "I plan to make an elixir and have Pearl at the apothecary sell it at a low price."_

_Lydia nodded, understandingly. Mrs Fitzroy smiled before getting up, gesturing for her daughter to follow her. I watched from a distance as they escorted Mrs Fell out the doors. "Well we hope it works out for the best. But do be careful.”_

_“You too. I bid you a safe journey, Anne-Marie and your family as well.” Mrs Fell smiled at her acquaintance’s remarks and turned to leave._

_I watched as Anne-Marie Fitzroy smiled stiffly while a pained expression crossed her face. She reached out her arm but hesitated before she went after her acquaintance. “Honoria.” She called out._

_At that, Mrs Fell stopped in her tracks and turned. Carefully, Lydia’s mother walked outside with Lydia in tow. She looked around for a minute before she leaned in towards Mrs Fell and dropped her voice. “You haven't heard it from me but the apothecarist is quite suspicious. She might be one of them." She warned._

_"You believe Miss P—"_

* * *

“—And that’s all we have time for today.” Mr Saltzman finished just as the loud ringing of the bell filled the classroom.

Without even dismissing the class, everyone shuffled to gather their things and get out, I tried to follow along. All the while, Matt gave me a look of concern while Elena turned around and tried to catch my eyes. I groaned internally when I saw the look on her face. She and I made eye contact before she mouthed something that I could barely make out.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. I knew what this was all about without even talking to her. It was no doubt something to do with the Grimoire. I didn't know where it was and I didn't want to know where it was.

Aimlessly, I gathered my things quickly, trying to get out before Mr Saltzman changed his mind and decided to give us homework. He was a good teacher despite their being something off about him. I picked up my backpack and was about to go meet Elena when Matt stood in front of me. “Hey, you okay?” He asked, blocking my way.

I stared at Elena for a moment who stood in front of the classroom with Stefan next to her and then back again at Matt. “Uh...I’m fine.” I said after a moment of hesitation. “Why?”

“No, it’s just you kinda looked out of it.”

I nodded and smiled. “Y’know how boring history can be.” I took a glance at Elena and Stefan again and back at Matt. There was a look of urgency on Stefan’s face. I sighed and pursed my lips. “Look, Matt. I really have to—”

“Ava.” Mr Saltzman called out to me from the front of the classroom. He leaned on the table and beamed at me. “You haven’t left. Great. Uh——Do you mind if I can take a bit of your time?” He asked.

Matt took that as a hint and walked out, all the while muttering a ‘good luck’ to me. Elena walked out as well while Stefan lingered outside the door. I gave him a look that I would talk to him and Elena later before going over to close the classroom door. Mr Saltzman went and stood near the window of the door, staring out of it. He waited for Stefan and Elena to be out of the hallways before he snapped his head to stare at me.

“Sorry for keeping you behind but I really needed to talk to you.” He began, clasping his hand and walking over to his desk. He took out his messenger bag and rummaged around for something. “...If I can just find——Oh, there you go.” He said as he placed a book in front of me.

I inched closer to the desk and scanned the front of the book. It was tattered and aged, looking less like a textbook or notebook. It looked familiar, the binding and the way the pages looked from outside. “...This is—”

“Johnathan Gilbert’s journal.” He stated.

My eyes widened for a second before I swallowed down the words bubbling inside and quickly composed myself. “Um, no disrespect but I’m a Fitzroy not a Gilbert.” I said, folding my arms and trying to look confused. “You’re better off asking Elena, Jeremy or even Jenna about this.” I paused. "...Speaking of which, how did you—"

“Jeremy gave it to me...I borrowed it actually." He replied without any hesitation.

_"She might know something."_

_"Maybe I should've asked Nathaniel…"_

_"...I need to know…"_

_"...They're real."_

_"Isabel."_

_“I need to know what—”_

_“Da—”_

I blinked away at Mr Saltzman's thoughts, frowning at them. My head throbbed in pain and without even knowing what I was doing, I brought a hand to my forehead. All the while, I tried to think of a way to distract him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I retorted, taking away my hand from my forehead. "Just tired." I swallowed. "So what did you want to ask me? I mean it had to be something in particular that you couldn't ask Jeremy or...Elena." I questioned, folding my arms and staring at him.

He stared at me hard for a minute, debating whether or not he should say what was on his mind. Mr Saltzman sighed before placing the journal in the middle of his desk. "In the journal, Johnathan mentioned your family—" He began, clasping his hands together, nervously.

"I mean, we were one of the founders. Practically helped fund the development of this place with...zero credit." I stated. "Just saying." I added as an afterthought, not trying to be seen as someone who was bragging.

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh." Anyone could hear uncertainty and anxiety in my voice. I smiled tightly at Mr Saltzman, afraid of exposing my family's secrets. I didn't care what he knew about this town. It was the fear that my history teacher might become a threat to my family and maybe Stefan.

Mr Saltzman laughed in disbelief, taking me by surprise. "Sorry. It's a funny story actually. I didn't believe this myself." He swallowed and let out a deep breath. "...In this journal, it talked about some weird and strange things. And I know what you're going to say 'Sir, he was a writer and inventor' but the thing is it's strange that he would go into so much detail about this thing. This one thing. It seems more than a passing imagination."

I stared at him for a while before forcing myself to laugh. "...I'm just...woah." I pursed my lips and laughed a little more before stopping myself. "Lemme guess, it's about the—" I dropped my tone and crept closer and almost whispered. "—'the vampires'. Right?" I asked with a dumb smirk on my face.

Mr Saltzman nodded fervently. I rolled my eyes at this, proud of myself for composing myself that quick. "Those are just stories. There's no historical proof that vampires ever existed in this town...or ever. I mean you should know, you're the 'history' teacher, shouldn't you be more focused on the facts?"

He said nothing and shook his head. Turning away from me, he picked up the journal and flicked to a page he had bookmarked. Mr Saltzman coughed once, he gave me a strange look before he started reading.

My eyes widened as he read out loud some extracts from Johnathan Gilbert’s journal, all focused on my family. I frowned as an awkward smile stretched onto my face, all the while I cursed the Gilbert family and all the family in my head.

For a moment, my mind went blank as various thoughts and excuses flew around. I didn’t know what to do. Mr Saltzman knew or at least he suspected something. All I knew was that he was not here as a teacher but for something else. My eyes narrowed as I studied my so-called history teacher for a second, he was too busy with the journal to notice my gaze.

I relaxed, the moment he finished reading. With one hand, he closed the book shut and stared at me for an answer.

Awkwardly, I coughed and straightened up. Jonathan Gilbert was lucky he was already dead. As if I was acting out a play, I blinked twice and tilted my head in a confused manner while staring at my history teacher with a look of disbelief. "That was chees— imaginative...to say the least. He really was a writer..."

"Ava, I'm not asking a lot. I just want to know if your family still hunts—"

I chuckled. "Do you hear yourself? It sounds ridiculous. My parents are busy enough as they are to barely take care of themselves. Don’t think anyone in my family has time to be a part-time vampire hunter." I paused and looked away. "...And if they existed that is. It's ridiculous." I added in.

"You're right. It was stupid."

"See!" I gave a nervous laugh, almost fidgeting with the strap of my bag. "If you ask me, I think you've been reading that thing for too long." I said gesturing to the journal. "You didn't hear this from me but in my family journals and a couple other founder journals, Johnathan is labeled as a...well...to put it in a nice way, an eccentric which y’know is the old fashioned way of calling someone in-saane." I finished with a shrug.

"Right. Um. I think that's all I have to ask for now." Mr Saltzman said, flustered and distracted by something.

Crisis averted. I nodded and moved towards the door. I stopped, turning around to stare at the journal. Stefan and Elena words ringing in my ears. That journal was probably safer in Mr Saltzman's hands but would he be safe keeping the journal? That was something I didn't know.

"Is something wrong?" Mr Saltzman asked, noticing my gaze on the journal.

I shook my head with a smile. "Nothing. It's jus——That journal is a heirloom and a piece of history itself. So do you mind keeping it safe? Maybe somewhere out of sight?" It was an excuse and I knew my words had double meaning to it. If Mr Saltzman was smart, he'd understand. I had a feeling that Damon was clearly not the only one after that journal. There was someone else.

_“Maybe she does know something?”_

Mr Saltzman narrowed his eyes suspiciously and nodded. "I was just about to put it away. Don't worry about it." I turned away from him and just managed to turn the door handle. "One more thing, actually…" He stopped me in my tracks. "It's about Damon. Damon Salvatore?"

Confused, I turned around again to stare at my history teacher. "What about him?"

"I know it's not my place to say this but he's not a good person. For one he's too old for you and—"

_“—a monster.”_

"Oh my g——It's not like that.” If I couldn’t hear Mr Saltzman’s thoughts, I would be very much horrified by this. “He's just——he's Stefan's older brother who believes we're friends which we most definitely are not. If anything he’s a stalker."

"He's dangerous. Stay away from him…I'm saying this as a concerned adult."

"Gotcha." I nodded and waved my hand in understanding before walking out of the classroom. Mr Saltzman knew more than he let on. And I had a guess that this 'Isabel' had something to do with it. But right now, that wasn't my priority.

With a quick glance behind, I pulled out my phone and searched up Uncle Nate's name in my contacts.

_S.O.S_

_Alaric Saltzman knows._

_\- A. R_

* * *

Scrunching up my face, I stared at the pages before me. I twirled the pen in my hand while at the same time, contemplating everything I knew so far about the tomb and the events of 1864. I sat alone in a booth at the grill. Caroline had just gone to her cheer practice while Matt worked on his shift. Now and then, he would come over and check on me.

The table in front of me was a mess. My journal was in front of me while James Fitzroy’s journal was placed next to it. Above his journal, the preserved but half burnt remains of his sister, Lydia’s journal lay. Half of her journal was in a delicate yet sturdy plastic to prevent further damage while the rest was lost. My pens and highlighters were scattered on the table while I frantically worked to make a timeline of events.

I know I promised Stefan I was going to be watching Damon but I’d rather have a headstart on the grimoire than be stuck babysitting. I trusted the Salvatore brothers as far as I could throw them. Stefan may not have given me a reason to distrust him yet but at the end of the day he was still a vampire and most of all he knew and loved Katherine Pierce just like his brother. I still had mixed feelings about them. You don’t get used to being buddies with vampires after growing up and being told that they’re dangerous monsters. You just don’t. There was no saying that he wouldn’t turn his back on Elena and work with his brother to get her back even if she wasn’t in the tomb. And even if he wasn’t, I’d rather be safe than sorry.

I sighed again as I clicked my black pen in annoyance. “You really love history.” Matt's voice invaded my thoughts. I picked up my head to glance at him. He stood over me before taking a seat across me. He looked better than before. I guess he had gotten used to his new ‘normal’, a fact that I too had to get used to. The guilt I felt had almost faded but it would resurface now and then whenever I saw Matt.

“You know me.” I shoved a french fry into my mouth. “I’m an overachiever.” I paused and tilted my head. “You off work now?”

“Not really.” He replied, getting up again to grab his order. He placed his burger and fries on the table before he sat back down. “I’m on my break. Why? Do you need anything?”

I shook my head before going back to what I was doing. “Nope. Just asking.”

“You sure do a lot for extra credit.”

A laugh escaped me. Despite how stressed I was, Matt always knew just to say to make me forget about things for a second. If only this was extra credit. I would’ve liked it more. I put my pen down, picking up a neon yellow highlighter. I gave him a teasing look before turning my attention back to my timeline. “Maybe...if you put half as much effort I did, you wouldn’t be failing history.” I joked.

“Ouch.” Matt held his chest like I had just wounded his heart before breaking out into a fit of laughter. “For the record, I like the whole dumb jock thing I have going on and Mr Saltzman’s cool with it too.”

I rolled my eyes as I highlighted some of the dates on the page. “I’d like to graduate with **all** of my friends, not just some. Come on.” I pushed aside the timeline and closed my journal. “I’ll even tutor you in whatever you’re failing at.” I put my bag on the table and threw down our history textbook.

“Are you gonna tutor me?”

“Why do you think I took the textbook out?”

Matt grinned ready to make another teasing remark before I gave him a look. He shut his mouth. ”I better ace all my classes.” He crossed his arms and leaned over to me.

“Well, you better Donovan cause we’re gonna be doing this till we graduate.” Matt snorted as I said this. He pulled back and clutched his stomach, trying to stop himself. “Stop. I’m being serious.”

He shook his head, continuing to laugh and threw his head back. “I’m sorry, you just look adorable trying to be all serious.” He wiped small tears off his face and stared at me with a smile that I hadn’t seen in a while. “Has anyone told you, you’re not threatening at all.”

“Gee thanks, Matty.”

“You’re welcome.” He grinned as he pushed his now empty plate aside. Pouting, I decided to put everything away. I can be threatening and scary. “Hey, is that your ancestor’s journal?” He asked, gesturing to James' journal. I nodded. “Cool. I’ve only heard of these journals and seen them at the Lockwood exhibit. Can I—”

“Knock yourself out.” I shrugged and carefully wrapped Lydia’s journal in an old worn out discoloured white cloth before placing it back into my bag.

_When I turned around, I found myself staring into darkness. “Matt?” I called out as I swallowed anxiously while looking around. No response. Slowly, moonlight poured through the clearing where I stood. “Hello?” I tried again, getting up from the cold damp floor, I held onto a tree for support._

_Sounds of rustling and shouting were heard in the distance. A light shone brightly in my direction before it disappeared. I squinted at the spot where the light had come from before breaking into a sprint in that direction. I paused when I noticed a flashlight on the dirt floor still turned on in my direction. The voices got louder and louder till I could hear them clearly and it was familiar._

 _“_ — _can't let you bring her back_ — _sorry.” Stefan’s distorted voice spat out._

 _“So am I_ —— _thinking_ —— _that I could trust you.” I heard Damon reply as I broke through a clearing._

_“Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself.”_

_“Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan.” Damon paused before he swallowed and turned to look at Elena. “But you…” I stared back and forth between the two, wandering what Elena did to Damon for him to become this way. “...You had me fooled.”_

_Elena didn’t respond. Instead she looked down in shame. I narrowed my eyes on the couple and turned my attention back onto Damon. Worried that he might do something dangerous. He took a step closer to the couple._

_“So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out.”_

_“You won't kill her.”_

_Damon nodded, choosing not to say anything. I guess Elena’s resemblance to Katherine left a soft spot in his cold dead heart. I carefully watched Damon and Stefan, studying them and trying to predict what they would do next. All the while trying to keep an eye on my friend. I couldn’t watch Damon kill another person. Not again. Not after Mr Tanner._

_But before I could blink, he had Elena in a chokehold._

_“I can do one better.” He spat out as I watched on in horror. He bit his wrist and violently brought it to Elena's mouth, force-feeding her. I gasped out loud and tried to run over to them but my feet wouldn’t move. I was frozen. “Give me the book, Stefan, or I'm snapping her neck.” He paused for a second. “And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend.”_

_“Let her go first.”_

_From the darkness, I watched as Damon pulled his wrist away from Elena's mouth. She shook in fear, on the verge of tears. “The book!”_

_“I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me.” Stefan tried to negotiate._

_His brother scoffed. “Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!”_

 _“You just did the one thing that ensures that_ —— _”_

Gasp.

I blinked and I was back at the grill. Lights around me instantly blinded me while my eyes tried to adjust to the environment. I cowered a little as the sounds of light chatter felt deafening. My senses were getting overwhelmed. I almost choked before trying to compose myself.

Drip. Drip.

Looking down, there were some water droplets on the table. My face felt wet. Gingerly, I brought one hand to my face. It felt wet, like I had just cried. Who wouldn’t after watching that.

“—va.” Matt called out to me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded numbly before shaking my head. Nervously, I checked my forehead and my neck with my clammy hands. “I’m fine.” I tried to convince him. “...Really. I’m fine.”

Matt stared at me, unfazed by my attempts. But before he could even say a word, one of his co-workers came over and called him back. I guess his break was over. Matt sighed while he got up. He gave me a look which definitely said that this conversation was not over. I sighed and gave him a forced smile as he went back to work. I was not fine. At all. 

I pursed my lips and got out my phone. I paused, debating about my next moves for a while. I had a hint of what I should do, even then I was confused. If I made one wrong move, Elena would be dead and I could go down with her. I passed my phone between my hands, playing around with it contemplating.

Riiiiing. Riiiiiing.

All of sudden, my phone started blaring loudly. I closed my eyes and sighed before checking the caller ID. _Leech_. Damon. Remembering my chat with Stefan this morning, I groaned. Right, baby sitting. I rolled my eyes and flipped my phone open, picking up the call.

“Helloo Sunshine.” Damon’s somewhat cheerful voice greeted me.

It was weird. For someone who only brought misery, he was waay too happy. “Damon.” I greeted back after a moment of silence while I gathered my things.

“Happy to hear from you too, firecracker.”

“Firefracker?” I repeated in disbelief as I slung my backpack over my shoulder and paid for my food. Matt was fortunately a little caught up with work to notice my exit.

“What’s wrong with ‘Firecracker’? I think it’s adorable.”

“And I think you’re annoying.” I walked outside the grill and quickly crossed the parking lot. Hurrying to my car, I shivered a little as the cold December wind blew across me. “...If this is about the tomb, then you can save your breath—”

“—Oh great. You’re caught up. Anyways. I was thinking you and I should team up. Y’know since Stefan and Elena are working as a team—” I made a sound while I tried to juggle my phone and tried to find aunt Diana’s old car keys. “—I called in the morning but—”

“—Get to the point Damon.” I grunted, trying to one-handedly open the car door. In frustration, my hands lit up. Cars around me started loudly beeping as alarms went off. My phone lost signal for a while before the light disappeared and everything returned back to normal. I stared at the parking lot with wide eyes before quickly getting in and starting the car.

“—A..va? He...l..lo” Damon’s voice crackled on the other end of the cell. “Yo...u there?”

I hesitated, throwing my phone onto the passenger seat. I huffed and tried to control my breathing. My hands kept flashing, on and off. Dusts of light hovered all over the inside of the car. In the rear-view mirror, I caught a glimpse of myself. My eyes glowed a bright amber hue. And then it was all gone.

I breathed out in relief. With one hand on the wheel, hesitantly I grabbed my phone with the other and brought it back to my ear. “Sorry, technical difficulties. You know, small town cell reception.”

“Right...” Damon replied clearly unconvinced. “Where are you?”

“Just left the grill, why?”

“Great! Drop by Elena’s house. It’s weird if I show up alone.”

“Where’s Stefan?”

“...Um...Hello? Did you miss the part where I said he teamed up with Elena to find the Gilbert journal.”

“Slipped my mind, Damon.”

Damon made a disgruntled sound. “Anyways. That means, you’re on my team.”

“Do I have a choice?” I asked. I was obviously playing here. After all, I did have to watch him for Stefan.

“Nope. You want me gone. I get Katherine and get out of your sight. We all win.” He made sounds of faux cheering in the background while I resisted the urge to facepalm myself.

I sucked in a breath and tried to hold myself back from bursting his excitement and joy. “Ugh fine. Where are you right now?”

“On my way to the Gilbert house.”

“Why? Stefan and Elena are not there.”

“No but the Gilbert journal might be...and Elena’s not the only Gilbert.” I took a turn that led to the Gilbert house as I silently cursed Damon. “Oh, I just pulled up to the house. Hurry up, sunshine.” That was the last thing he said as he hung up.

I grumbled and sped up. Taking another few turns and before I knew it, I was there. I pulled up to the Gilbert house’s driveway and killed the engine. As I got out of the car, I gently dropped the hood of my red coat and hugged it closer to myself.

Outside the house, Damon stood nearby his car. Instantly he spotted me and sauntered over. “There’s my fav—”

“Don’t. You. Dare. Touch. Jeremy.” I spat out as I stomped over to him.

He drew back and put his hands up defensively. “Relax. It’s family game night. I promise I won’t touch a hair on Elena’s baby brother...in exchange you help me.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Fine. I’ll do as much as I can.” I grumbled out as I stomped over to the door.

I plastered on a smile before knocking twice on the door and ringing the doorbell three times. Taking a step back, I waited and looked around. Now and then Damon would make eye contact with me. When our eyes did meet, he would throw me an excited smile that made my stomach churn.

* * *

“Remind me again why Damon is here?” Jenna whispered as she poured herself a glass of red wine.

I pursed my lips and shrugged before craning my head to check where Damon was. "...Well it's obvious isn't it?" I replied back in a low voice. Jenna gave me a puzzled look as I grinned. "He's a stalker."

"That's more—concerning than amusing."

"Dark humor?" I stared at Jenna who didn't look convinced. "No? Well…" Riiiing. I paused as my phone started ringing.

Turning away from Jenna, I fumbled through my bag on the counter to find the ringing device. _Stefan._ I turned back to face Jenna as I gave her a look. She sighed realizing that I was going to leave her alone with Damon. With her glass in hand, she left the living room and went into the kitchen.

With Jenna gone, I took another peek at the kitchen before making my way to the backyard. I flipped my phone open and dialed Stefan's number. It didn't take long for him to pick up.

"Hey. Did you find anything?"

Stefan let out a frustrated sound. "I did and then I didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr Saltzman—" He paused for a moment as he dropped his voice low. "—had the journal."

This wasn't brand new information. My eyes widened as Stefan's words sunk in. _"Had?"_ I almost hissed before I flinched back and realized the harshness of the response. "...what happened?"

"I don't know. There was another vampire."

"Another vampire. Great. Just what we need right now. More vampires. Just great." I paused. "No offense." I added in an as afterthought.

"Ava—"

" —Don't. Save it." Frustrated, I pushed my hair back and stared at the evening sky. Flashes of that vision came to me in pieces. "Stefan, I think you should be honest to Damon."

Silence responded. For a moment he didn't say anything, probably too surprised to say anything back. "...Did Damon threaten or do something?"

"I can't be compelled and usually it's me doing the 'threatening'. Look I know it seems crazy but looking at your brother's track, he's gonna lose it if he finds out what you and Elena are really up to."

"...I appreciate your concern but I know Damon."

"Stefan—" And he hung up on me. I huffed loudly and hugged myself. I guess I could try convincing Elena instead.

* * *

I leaned over the stove as I mindlessly stirred some vegetables in the pan. Behind me Damon was busy chopping up some tomatoes while Jenna sat across both of us on a counter, drinking wine and watching us. From a stranger’s perspective, this would seem like a typical Friday night. A family night even. But it was anything but one.

For one, Damon was here. Damon, the animal behind the so-called animal attacks. I lowered the heat and added some spices into the pan as I carefully took a glance behind me.

“My father never approved of anyone I dated, which only made me want them more. Of course. What about you?” Damon started as he glanced at Jenna. Oh god. Here we go again. More mopping over Katherine. Can he and his brother move on already? It’s been over a hundred years.

“There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser I've dated.” Jenna replied with a lopsided grin.

“They ever find him? Or is he still missing?” I almost snorted at Damon’s questions. I forgot Damon also had a hand at taking out Logan. Can’t say that he didn’t have it coming. Egotistical bastard. I guess I’d give Damon a pass for that one.

“He's not missing. He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum.” She gave a bitter smile and finished whatever was left in her glass before looking up again. “He's a Fell. They're all snooty.” She added.

“Not all Fells.” I said in a small sing-songy voice.

“—Is what Nate would say.” We both knew which Fell we were referring to.

Damon chuckled and walked over to Jenna, pouring more wine into her glass. She raised her glass to him while Damon turned back around to continue slicing. He passed me the chopped tomatoes and moved to stand next to me. He seemed too happy for someone about to be betrayed. Elena’s struggling face flashed in front of my eyes for a second. I quickly blinked it away, moving on to focus on the saucepot.

“Hello, Elena.” Damon greeted.

At Damon’s voice, I turned around and waved at my friend. Elena’s eyes went wide as they scanned the kitchen. She gave me a questioning look before she turned to glare at Damon.

“Hey. Where have you been? We're cooking dinner.” Tipsy Jenna smiled blissfully at the presence of her niece as she gestured to me and Damon. At that moment, I wish I was Jenna.

“Is Stefan with you?” Damon asked Elena.

Elena hesitated for a moment as she leaned against the counter Jenna was sitting on before she responded to Damon’s question. “Um——he'll be here soon.”

I raised an eyebrow and carefully watched the two. Damon was suspicious. Why was I not surprised? Elena sucked at lying and Stefan sucked at being honest or appearing to be honest. A match made in heaven, I guess. 

Flicking my hair back, I glanced at Elena who was far too busy glaring at Damon’s back. I sighed and tried to catch her eyes. She turned to stare at me confused as I gave her a look while tilting my head towards the door that led to her backyard. She nodded slowly before walking out the kitchen.

* * *

"What happened to 'this' not being our problem?" Elena asked in a quiet problem. I didn't say anything but sighed. "I mean, I'm just saying you were hellbent on staying away from all of this and now you're helping Damon."

I pursed my lips and turned around to stare at my friend. "Okay. I am not helping Damon...and I still am hellbent on staying away from all of this. Besides this whole thing is not gonna be a Stefan or Damon problem anymore if the tomb gets opened."

The cold winter air gently blew past me, making me cower as a chill passed through me. Well, it wasn't the only thing making me shiver. I glanced back at the backdoor to the Gilbert house. Through the lit fogged up windows, I could barely see a few figures. No doubt the Salvatore brothers were among them. My gaze hardened as I remembered why I was even getting involved.

"Look, I get you're trying to be a model girlfriend but this is bigger than both of us. If you know what vampires are capable of by now then you would be on the same page as me."

"I thought you trusted Stefan."

"For now."

"Come on, this is Stefan."

"—Whose defended his psychotic brother more times than I can count."

"Yes, but he has a plan."

"Like he always does." I sucked in a breath. "Look, all I'm saying is maybe if you're gonna not help Damon then don't lie to him. The last thing you could do is give someone like him hope——and that's the closest he'll get to being happy." I locked my lips and looked down. "He doesn't deserve to be happy, not after Vicki, Tanner and... Caroline."

I loosened my hair and let it fall down my back in frustration. Elena looked at me with a conflicted look. She was torn. I knew her well, she was someone who tried to care about people's feelings. And right now she was lying to Damon for Stefan. What she didn't know was that her lie was going to get her killed. That was something I had to keep to myself for now. After all, I didn't want to attract any more attention than I already did.

Elena didn't say anything else as she led back inside her pause. Her thoughts were written all over her face. I almost facepalmed myself when I glanced over at her. Could she be a little bit more transparent. I stopped and pulled at her sleeve. She frowned before she noticed my look. Her face shifted as a fake but cheery smile slowly spread across her entire face. I guess she still had the cheerleader perkiness in her.

* * *

Mindlessly, I sat on the armchair next to the couch. Jeremy and Damon both sat side by side and were too busy to notice my presence. Quietly, I snuck a glance at the duo. Both seemed to look too engrossed in their game to notice anything, at first glance. But I could tell that Damon was a little distracted.

"—I'm a fast learner, quick reflexes." Damon stated, clearly winning against Jeremy.

All of a sudden Jeremy's phone went off. I narrowed my eyes as he paused his game and took out his phone. His face shifted as he tossed his phone aside, resuming his game.

“Who are you dodging?” Damon quizzed.

“This girl Anna. She can be, uh, persistent.” Jeremy answered, a little distracted.

“Is she hot?”

“Yeah, yeah, but she can be weird.”

“Hot trumps weird, trust me.”

“You would know.” I mumbled under my breath, just quiet enough for my own ears. Obviously, Damon heard and he snorted at my comment. Jeremy smiled as he threw a quick look between me and Damon.

I zoned out after that. There wasn’t really anything else to do other than wait and seeing. And I’ve never been a patient person. My mind wondered as I went over the possible events of tonight. Damon flipping and attacking Elena was what was constantly on my mind.

I wondered if I should just let things happen as they are. Maybe take a quick trip to the old Salvatore plots and get the grimoire myself. Granted, Damon would still lose it but at least the tomb would be shut. _But Elena_. The little voice in my head cried out. A feeling of guilt swelled up inside me, I tried hard to swallow it down. This could be for the greater good, I tried to argue back.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to entertain all the ‘what ifs’ in my head as the loud shrill of the house bell rang through my thoughts. As soon as I heard it, I pushed myself off my seat and walked over to the foyer with Damon following my steps closely. Elena had already beat us to the door. She quietly opened the door and let Stefan in.

Stefan stood outside, looking tired. He scanned his surroundings before he paused as his gaze landed on his brother. Elena shrugged in response to Stefan’s questioning look while I just simply rolled my eyes.

“Well?” Damon questioned, wanting to know if Stefan’s search had been more successful than his.

Sighing, I looked around for a sign of Jenna and Jeremy before grabbing Damon and gesturing Elena and Stefan to go outside. Stefan nodded before he led us outside to the front porch. I let go of Damon and lightly closed the door behind me. One of these days, these people would need to learn the meaning of secrecy.

Damon rolled his eyes at my actions while I scowled at him. He ignored me, starting again. Stefan nodded once before filling him in on what I really knew. I nodded my head off, acting like I was keeping up. I wrapped my arms around me and started pacing.

“Who took it?” Damon asked again.

”I don't know.”

“You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him.”

I made a move to defend Mr Saltzman even though I did agree. Stefan quickly saw to what I was doing and jumped in to defend our history teacher. “No, he doesn't know anything. Somebody got to it right before me.”

“Who else knew it was there?”

Elena looked down, confused. While Stefan gazed at the window. I followed his gaze and stopped. My stomach dropped as I found what he was looking at. Jeremy. I clenched my fists as Damon started walking back into the house. Great. Just what I needed.

Horrified and finally understanding the situation, Elena followed after Damon while Stefan and I tried to make sense of the new information. Someone used Jeremy to get to the journal. Someone that probably knew about the tomb.

Taking a deep breath, I ran after Elena and Damon, Stefan following closely behind. From the foyer, I could hear Elena’s protests as Damon walked over to the unsuspecting boy.

"—Damon, leave him out of it!” Elena hissed.

“Why, what's the big deal?” Damon retorted. There was a slight anger in his voice. Anger and excitement. Not a good combination.

“Damon.” I called out. He turned to stare at me. “You promised.” I echoed, trying to remind him of our conversation outside the Gilbert house.

“Relax, I’m not gonna hurt him.” Elena did not look convinced and neither did I or Stefan. We had no choice but to believe him.

Damon took a seat on the arm of the sofa Jeremy was sitting on as leaned over to speak to him. “So....I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?” He started, trying to sound casual.

“Huh?”

“Don't ask questions, just spill.”

“You're kidding me, right?”

“Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Johnathan Gilbert's journal?” Elena pressed on, frustrated.

“Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?”

I rolled my eyes and leaned over Jeremy. “That **thing** is a piece of history.”

“Right...” He said, still unconvinced.

“Who else did you tell?” Elena tried again.

Jeremy hissed and paused his game for a second to answer. “Just that girl Anna.”

“The hot, weird one?” Damon asked while Jeremy nodded.

“Wait, who is Anna?” Stefan questioned out loud.

“That’s what I was gonna say.” I chimed in. “Whose Anna?” I asked Damon.

“That's what I want to find out.” Damon said as he opened his mouth to say something.

He was cut off as Elena’s phone started blaring loudly. She took a look at it before mouthing something to me and going off to answer it. It was Bonnie. No doubt she wanted to talk about her date. I shrugged and made a mental note to call Bonnie later tonight when everything was over.

With Elena gone, Damon put his attention back on Jeremy. “How do you know her?” He pressed on.

“I just know her. She wants me to meet her at the Grill tonight.”

“Perfect. I'll drive. Come on.”

“O-Okay.”

Jeremy got up and followed after Damon. I watched them go before I turned to Stefan. “I’m gonna keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t hurt Jeremy.”

Stefan nodded and I went to follow the boys. I stopped when I felt a tug on my arm. “Be careful. Try not to get hurt.” I smiled at Stefan’s words as I freed myself and met Damon outside. Guess he knew I was gonna tag along.

* * *

Throwing my head back, I leaned over my chair. Now and then, I would discreetly crane my head over the grill and watch over Jeremy who was across the bar. Damon sat next to me, looking around for a sign of this ‘Anna’ girl. I sighed loudly, thinking back to the family Thanksgiving dinner, so much for staying out of vampire business.

"...Can I trust them?” Damon asked, breaking through my thoughts.

“Stefan is your brother. And you just met Elena.” I accepted a glass of pink lemonade as I turned to glance at Damon. “So you tell me, Damon. Can **you** trust them?” I echoed his question with a bored look.

“That’s not what I asked.” He retorted.

“You want the truth?”

“I wouldn’t have asked you otherwise.”

“You asked Elena this too back at her house.”

“And she said I could...but I wanna know from you.” His eyes bored into mine intensely like he was searching for the truth in them. I almost wanted to laugh. He was trusting the wrong person.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Can **I** trust you?” I bit back, taking a sip of my drink. I pushed my drink off to the side and looked away from him.

“I haven’t given you a reason not to.”

“Right.” I rolled my eyes as I thought back to Vicki, Mr Tanner and Lexi. All three of those situations went south because of him. “Like you didn’t turn Vicki Donovan into a vampire who killed Logan Fell, tried to kill Lexi.”

Tilting my head, I paused to think of more examples. “Oh right, almost forgot how you used Caroline as a freaking human blood bag and treated her like——dirt or the time you rage killed my idiot history teacher and let’s not forget why we’re here. Your obsession with Katherine.” I harshly whispered as I turned back to glare at him.

“When have you given me a reason to trust you.” I mumbled under my breath.

Glancing around, I let my words mull in his head before I closed my eyes and sighed. I didn’t say anything for a while. My eyes wandered around the grill, looking for this ‘Anna’ girl.

I paused when I noticed Matt from a distance. He looked tired and busy but he stopped when he noticed me. He put down the washrag and waved at me before his face hardened as he noticed my company. I simply smiled in response. Annoyed at Damon, I sighed, not really being able to do much. Can’t even get rid of him without hurting Stefan’s feelings.

After a period of silence, Damon spoke out. "I want to trust you. I really do."

"And why's that?" I took a sip of my drink.

"Believe or not, I used to be friends with your ancestors Lydia and James. We grew up together after all. Did everything together. They even took me in when my father used to—"

"Oh my god. Is this the part where you tell me your tragic backstory so that I feel some sort of sympathy for your stupid quest to get your psychotic ex back?" I cut him off. I couldn't let him continue. Unfortunately, I knew if I heard anymore, I would probably be more sympathetic and that's the last thing someone like me should be towards someone like him.

Damon clenched his jaw and leaned over to stare at me. His wintery blue eyes stared at me with a conflicted look, like he was searching something. "Can't be compelled…" I muttered in a sing-songy voice.

"Wasn't trying to." He bit back. Surprised, I threw him a look of disbelief. "I was checking to see if you were really related to Lydia."

"Technically, James’ my ancestor." I corrected.

"Makes so much sense."

I pouted and my eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed, pulling a strand of my hair back before throwing a glare at Damon.

"I wasn't lying. I really did care about them. Never got a chance to tell them goodbye too."

"...They cared about you too...despite everything." I added quietly. He whipped his head to stare at me in shock while I tried to avoid his gaze.

After a moment of pondering silence, I decided to answer his question. “...I don’t know.” I answered his question after a while. Thinking back to what I saw when I was going through Johnathan Gilbert’s journal. "I don't know if you can trust Stefan or Elena." I changed my mind and decided to give him an answer after all. Damon was unpredictable. There was no saying that he wouldn’t attack Elena like I saw in my premonition.

“Thought you would.”

“I don’t know the record between you brothers but I do know Elena is loyal or so I remember her to be.” I leaned closer to Damon and stared at him. “But if I were you, I would be a little less optimistic and maybe even prepare for disappointment.”

“What makes you say that?”

“People change Damon. They can surprise you in the worst way possible.” I pulled back and gave him a knowingly bitter smile. I shivered a little. “...I think that’s ‘Anna’ right there.” I gestured.

Damon followed my gaze to where Jeremy stood. There stood another person, a petite east asian girl with long wavy black hair and a bright smile. Her eyes on the other hand looked a little empty. She was definitely a vampire who was pretending to be human.

I glanced at Damon for a second before a troubled look flashed across his face. It shifted as his eyes widened and his mouth opened wide. Before I could ask him, my phone started ringing. I scowled as I fumbled around in my bag, trying to find my phone.

Uncle Nate’s name flashed across the screen. I gave a quick glance to Damon before slipping outside. Hurriedly, I threw open the backdoor of the grill and walked over to the car. “This better be important.” I greeted as I flipped my phone open.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Uncle Nate answered back. “I’m sure your history teacher interrogating you on our family history is important.”

“Right. Ugh. Mr Saltzman.”

“How the hell does Rick know?”

I held my phone, a few distance away before bringing it back to my ear. Then I looked around as I carefully quietened my voice to answer back. “I’m at the Grill with a vampire, stalking another vampire who may or may not have been around in 1864. So do me favor and keep it down.”

“...What do you mean you’re stalking a vampire? What happened to laying low??” He questioned, a little quieter than before. “Wait. You’re with Damon aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean ‘yes’? Elaborate.”

“I’m with Damon at the grill...well...keeping an eye on him.”

“I have so many questions.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“What part of ‘no hunting’, did you not get?”

“I’m not hunting, I’m...babysitting, sort of. There’s a difference.”

“Ugh. Whatever. Just be safe and we need to talk about Alaric.”

“For now let’s worry ‘bout the tomb opening.”

“I’ll talk to Sheila Bennett. Give her a heads up and all.”

“Great. I should head back.”

“Stay safe.”

I made a noise of agreement as I flipped my phone close. Sighing, I made my way back inside the grill, weaving through a crowd of people at the pool tables. I stopped. Damon was gone. My eyes widened as I scrambled to find Damon. Jeremy was still there where I had last seen him but his friend, Anna was gone. Pushing through the crowd, I walked up to Jeremy who looked focused on a game of pool.

“Hey Jer, where did your friend go?” I asked with a feigned peppy voice which almost made me sound like Caroline in her cheerleader mode.

Jeremy looked at me with a weirded expression before nervously laughing. “I don’t know...she...uh...just disappeared—said she’d be back but I don’t know where she went.” He bent down and aimed the pool stick before shooting his shot. “...Come to think of it, weren’t you and Damon together.”

“Together?”

“Yeah. You two came in together.”

“Uh. Right.” I nodded. “I lost track of him.”

“Guess our dates ditched us.”

“Damon’s not my date. We’re joint chaperones.”

“Right...”

I rolled my eyes and leaned over the pool table. This wasn’t going anywhere. Taking a deep breath, I bit my lips. I wasn’t supposed to do this but I don’t think I had a choice.

“Where did Anna go?” I asked again while keeping an eye out for Damon. Glancing back at Jeremy, he monotonously replied the same answer as before.

He really didn’t know where they went. I sighed and looked away. “Good talking to you, Jer. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Stay out of trouble.” I didn’t have to look at him to know that his eyes had flickered to amber yet again as he nodded mechanically.

Without any hesitation, I flipped my phone open as another message came through. Stefan and Elena knew where the grimoire was. They didn’t tell me where. I knew why. They still thought Damon was with me. Boy, were they wrong about that.

Quickly, I paid for my drink and ran outside to the parking lot. I got inside my car, heading straight to the old Salvatore burial ground. Giuseppe Salvatore was the one who had the grimoire not Johnathan Gilbert. After all, it would be too obvious if he had it hidden. He wasn’t as intelligent as the rest of the founders made him out to be.

* * *

I haphazardly parked my car on the side of the woods leading to the old Salvatore plots and all but ran out into the darkness. Before I ran out, I grabbed the crossbow from the trunk. Quickly, I grabbed a few wooden arrows. They were spelled too, thanks to Uncle Nate and Aunt Evelyn.

Hurriedly, I ran through the trails, hitting branches and jumping over boulders. I came to a halt as I spotted three figures in the distance, illuminated by the faint light of a torch. Breathing in deeply, I stepped back into the cover of the darkness and pulled a notch to unfold the crossbow. Carefully, I loaded it up and notched the string. Without hesitation I fired.

As if expecting it, Damon dodged it with ease. I loaded another one and moved to take cover before firing again. This time it hit his shoulder. I guess my aim wasn’t that bad.

Damon grunted in pain while I smiled. "Look who finally decided to join the party." Damon's voice called out. "You can come out sunshine. I know it's you."

I clenched my jaws and loaded another arrow, ready to fire again but I stopped. My eyes adjusted more to dim light and my heart dropped. Just like my vision, Damon had Elena in his grip.

"Damon…" I warned, making my presence known. I pointed the crossbow at him.

"Don't. I'll rip her heart out."

Stefan swallowed and stood in front of me protectively. "Ava." He warned me carefully. There was a sense of panic and urgency to the way he said my name. Breathing out, I threw my crossbow in front of Damon and put my hands out to show I meant no harm. Anymore.

"Let Elena go."

He narrowed his eyes at Stefan and glanced at me. "You knew." He stated in a small voice with a tone that I couldn't make out.

I swallowed heavily and nodded. "I did warn you."

Stefan stared between me and his brother with a conflicted look on his face. He hesitated giving up the grimoire. "Damon…" He tried again.

"The grimoire, Stefan."

I huffed and craned my head to look at Damon. “You can’t open the tomb, Damon.” I warned. “Katherine’s not worth letting all the others out.”

“Stefan already tried that, sunshine. Try something else.”

“Fine.” I clenched my jaws and slowly tried to find my dagger on my belt. “I’ll just take you down.”

He snorted. “I know you don’t really have it in you.”

I breathed out heavily. He was right. As much I hated to admit, I wasn’t skilled enough to take him down. Maybe if Uncle Nate or my brother, Dan were in my place, then maybe Damon could be stopped. But I couldn’t. I could barely use a bow. And my new abilities were too unstable for me to use. At the end, Elena or someone would still get hurt.

Stefan and I glanced at each other from the corner of our eyes. We were conflicted. It was either Elena or the town. If my brother or anyone else from my family were here, they would’ve sacrificed Elena without a thought but I wasn’t them. I cared too much. I guess that might be my weakness one day.

For a while, neither I or Stefan said anything. We both stared at each other, silently trying to decide our next move before we both nodded. His eyes travelled Damon and not taking it off his brother, he threw the grimoire on the dirt floor.

Without another word, Damon pushed Elena over to Stefan who caught her with ease. One glance at me, Stefan disappeared with his girlfriend but not after an exchange with Damon that I was too tired to care about. I had just about enough with them or their messes. I knew I was gonna get involved with them again somehow.

"Ava, I—" 

"I hope Katherine will be worth all of this." I said quietly turning around and starting to walk away.

Damon laughed bitterly and shut the grimoire loudly. "...Thank you for warning me before."

I glanced behind me to stare at him with a blank look. "I wasn't warning you. I was being honest...giving you hope is giving you happiness _—_ " I sucked in a breath to calm myself. " _—_ And someone like you doesn't deserve to be happy not without redemption.”

“...I don’t even know if there’s anything in you that’s worth redeeming." I continued, quietly. I didn’t bother to look at him this time. I know I never trusted him in the first place but it still did hurt knowing what he did tonight to Elena.

My eyes burned with anger and disappointment as I tried to stop myself from doing something impulsive. I turned away from him, starting to walk back to where I had parked my car. A thought or memory darted past my mind as I smiled bitterly.

Pausing in my tracks, I gave a short glance to Damon before looking away again. "Oh for the record. I think Katherine may not be in that tomb after all." I started walking away.

"What do you mean?" He asked, dropping the grimoire to his side.

"Nothing. It's just a hunch." That was all I said before disappearing into a thicket of trees. I didn’t know if what I saw was real. But if Katherine Pierce really was never in the tomb, then what was the point in all of this? 

* * *

**_Salvatore Estate, September 1864_ **

**** _The Salvatore's garden was filled with thick tension as Katherine and I quietly stared at each other. Before Katherine could comment once more. She was interrupted. A set of loud voices interrupted the two._

_“Miss Katherine.” “Miss Katherine. We’re back.” The two Salvatore brothers yelled out as they ran to where Lydia and Katherine were. They halted when they noticed Lydia._

_“Miss Fitzroy.” Stefan greeted Lydia with a deep curtsy._

_She nodded weakly as she gently placed the china cup down on the table. The tea was untouched. She no longer had a desire to stay and watch this game unfold. "Lydia." Damon said with a confused look. "I didn't know you were…visiting." He remarked. She looked away and avoided his gaze. "I would've—"_

_"Miss Pierce invited me for tea, Mr Salvatore." Lydia replied back with a sickly sweet smile. Winnie quietly slipped back and whispered something in Lydia's ears. She nodded as she gracefully got up. "... Unfortunately, I will not be able to stay for long." Lydia excused myself, dusting herself and gently wiping her mouth with her napkin. "Forgive me, Miss Pierce—"_

_"Katherine." Katherine attempted to correct me again. She again had no desire to befriend this woman._

_" **Miss Pierce**." Lydia repeated with much conviction. "And Mr Salvatores-"_

_"Lydia, there's no need to be so formal." Damon tried to placate his childhood friend. Lydia scoffed and clenched her jaws. "And please stay a bit longer. Stefan and I have only come back home."_

_For a moment, she said nothing before she signalled to Winnie to prepare the carriage. She had no intentions to stay and be a spectator of this wicked game nor did she want any part of it._

_From the corner of my eyes, I could see Katherine watching us. Her mouth hidden behind a teacup as she calmly sipped the warm tea. I could tell she found this amusing but Lydia was not one of her puppets. She refused to be. Katherine's maid's eyes were trained on Lydia as she quietly tracked her every movement. She paused when she noticed Lydia’s gaze on her. She lowered herself a little to apologize before focusing on Katherine one again. It seemed Lydia's mother had told her about Emily Bennett._

_Winnie came back and whispered sharply. Her brother, James was here. I sighed. I knew why he was here. It was no doubt to officially end the betrothal agreement between the two families. He was representing their father who was far too busy with the newly established council to attend to family affairs. Yet Lydia held no complaints._

_"Mr Salvatore…" She drawled out, narrowing her eyes at Damon. "Please refrain from casually addressing me with my name." She warned him. "Especially since we no longer have anything to do with each other." She added, bowing lightly as she took a few steps back and turned around._

_She didn't get too far. Only reached the front of the grand manor when a hand gripped her arm. Immediately, she stopped. Lydia hissed in pain as the grip on her tightened. Annoyed, she turned to glare at the person apprehending her, only for the glare to shift to a look of sympathy._

_"Da—Mr Salvatore." Gently, she pried his hands off of her and bowed with utmost curtsy. "Can I help you?" She asked, not really caring much for his answer._

_"Lydia, did I do something?" He asked in turn, taking a step back. "You've been acting very odd lately."_

_A bitter laugh escaped me before her could help herself. Cough. "It's not me who has changed, Mr Salvatore. It's you." Lydia pointed at him with a sad smile. "Miss Pierce has changed you and not for the better. It's almost as if I can't even recognize my friend anymore."_

_"I'm still the same. It's you—"_

_"Lydia!" James called out as he descended down the steps of the Salvatore manor. A maid followed behind him. It was one of the Salvatore maids. She bowed and handed him his coat before she bowed again in greeting to Damon. Taking a few steps back, she excused herself. "Dam—Mr Salvatore." He continued after the maid had left. "Thank you for entertaining my sister. Now if you would excuse us." He nodded as he took my hand and tried to guide us to a carriage._

_"Wait." Damon stopped us again. "Did I offend you both in any way to make you both act if I am some stranger." He bit out in desperate frustration as he ran his fingers through his hair._

_James_ _and Lydia shared a look as they both nodded. "How did you not offend us?" James asked in turn, taking a protective stance in front of his sister. At this moment, James reminded me of my own brother, Daniel. "...Having an open affair with a strange woman who is also clearly having an affair with your younger brother...all the while, you were engaged to my sister." He scoffed and smiled bitterly. "The nerve…"_

_From near the entrance of the carriage, I watched the situation play out in silence as Damon stumbled back. His face contorted in pain as if he had swallowed something bitter._

_"Let me add, one more thing." Lydia took a step forward. "I never asked for much since we were all—" She gestured to James, Damon and the garden to indicate Stefan's presence. "—childhood friends. I tried to understand you and your situation with your father." Pausing to gather her bearings, she continued. "—But to humiliate not only me but my family..." She clicked her tongue in disapproval and looked away, unable to even look at Damon. "...That I cannot forgive." She finished with a deep sigh of disappointment._

_“I apologize for everything, I really do.” Damon started. “But please, don’t...don’t—” He paused, trying to compose himself but he failed. Stray tears escaped his eyes as he turned away and quickly wiped them off. “Please...I...” He swallowed. “I beg both of you, please consider our past and don’t abandon me...”_

_Lydia turned away from Damon to stare at James, conflicted. “It’s not us who are abandoning you, it’s you who abandoned us first.” James spoke out, his voice tinged with sadness and anger yet he sounded tired._

_“Damon.” The slow yet seductive voice of Katherine Pierce interrupted us as she called out to the man in front of us. She carefully strode towards us with her arms in Stefan’s, an enticing smile plastered on her face. She feigned a look of surprise as she came to a halt near where we stood. “Oh!” She covered her mouth with her gloved hand. “Am I interrupting...”_

_The Ftizroy siblings shared a look of disgust before Lydia plastered a smile on her face. “Not at all, Miss Pierce—” She began._

_“—We were just leaving.” James finished. With a bow, they turned their backs to the Salvatores and left their thorn infested garden forever, not daring to turn._

* * *

I slammed the car door shut, making sure to lock it as I walked to the front door. "Hey Bon, it's me again. I just wanted to check up on you and update you and all. Call me." I sighed as Bonnie's phone kept going straight to voicemail.

The foyer was dimly lit while the lights in the house were mostly turned off. On the side table, there was a note next to the newly replaced vase and the coat-hangers. I walked over to read the note, all the while keeping my phone in my hands. Maybe a part of me was worried about Bonnie. She had been quiet since her date. I wanted to know if it went well or if she was safe but so far I had nothing.

The note on the table was scribbled in a hurry and was barely legible. I pushed my hair behind my shoulders, crept closer and squinted at the note. I could make out a few words and identify the writing as Uncle Nate’s writing. He had most likely written it in a hurry before he left.

> _~~Gabe~~ Your dad called an emergency meeting. _
> 
> _In LW, call for emergency only!!_
> 
> _Ask ~~Mar~~ ~~Gina~~ Rob for everything else_
> 
> _\- Uncle Nate_

Pursing my lips, I held my phone in one hand and the scribbled note in the other. I waited for Bonnie as I walked up the stairs, never taking my eyes off the phone. Sighing, I flipped my phone closed and threw it at my bed before making my way to the bathroom to get changed into my pajamas. Maybe by the time, I came back, she would call or text me. I threw an aspirin in before downing it with some water as I dragged myself off to my bed.

My head felt like it was being split open. I guess tonight was too much for me. Then again, I’ve had cases of migraines for weeks now.

Buz. Buzz. Buzzz. Buz. Buzzzzzzzz. 

All of sudden, there was buzzing in my head as my world felt like it was spinning. I swayed side-to-side before I threw myself onto my bed. A warm sticky liquid ran down my nose, eyes and as an iron-like scent invaded my senses. In a haze of panic, I got up and touched the liquid. It was blood. I was bleeding.

Riiiiiing. Riiiiiiing.

The phone on the bed stand started ringing, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned away from my bloody hand to stare at the phone for a second. I looked away and contemplated picking it up on the first few rings but paused. It wasn’t Bonnie calling.

My jaws hardened as I stared at the caller ID. I cursed under my breath, another headache, just as the aspirin was starting to kick in. Without a hesitation, I silenced my phone and took a tissue to wipe off any blood. Giving myself a onceover in the mirror. I went back to bad and dragged the covers over me but not before I turned off the lights, drifting off to another memory of the past

* * *

**_Fitzroy Manor, September 1864_ **

**** _“James!” Lydia clutched her skirt with a smile on her face and ran towards the library. There was no response. “James?” She called out again. This time, She peeked her head inside the room._

_An empty library greeted her. He must have been out. She knew her brother, he would practically live in the family library if he could so where was he? She sighed, almost leaving but she stopped. Half written letters were clustered around a desk near the huge window, James almost always used to sit by. At first she tried to ignore them despite my protests of telling her to go and take a peek. I know it was wrong but I was curious. I guess I wasn’t the only one._

_Though my protests fell onto her deaf ears, Lydia’s curiosity got the best of her and she carefully looked around the deserted library before inching closer to the desk. I watched as she picked up the most finished letter of the bunch and carefully scanned it. Her gloved hand delicately but firmly held onto the letter while I hovered behind her, trying to read the letter as well._

_My eyes widened as I drew a hand over my mouth to suppress a gasp. James, he-_

_“James, what did you do?” Lydia gasped, mirroring my actions, hand over her mouth in shock._

_She fell back and dropped the letter before grabbing all of the drafts. I watched in shock as she started a fire at the fireplace and threw the letters in one by one. I tilted my head and stared in confusion at what she was doing. Wait. Shouldn’t she be asking her brother or I don’t know be happy about this._

_The sound of the doors opening was heard as both me and Lydia turned our heads to stare at the door. James stood at the door with a content smile on his face. His smile dropped as he noticed the tear soaked face of his sister. Oh boy. This wasn’t gonna be good._

_“Lydia...” He began. “What do you have in your hand?” He asked as bit his lips anxiously._

_At her brother’s voice, she turned around and glared at him. “You know exactly what they are.” She spat out. “How could you!”_

_“I did it for you. For us. For our family.”_

_“You endangered us.”_

_“I did what had to be done.” He tried again to calm his sister down. Lydia shook her head violently as tears slid down her face and a fearful look flashed across her face. “Please, Mr Salvatore had to know.”_

_“Know what? That he willingly let a vampire into his home. He won’t believe us and we’ll be made a mockery of.”_

_I gasped as I realized what this was all about. It was James. My family that exposed Katherine. I stumbled back and fell onto the cold hard wooden floors and watched in silence as Lydia and her brother continued to discuss the topic._

_“—Except. He does believe us.”_

_She shook her head in disbelief. “So you had to be the one to tell him.”_

_“His sons weren’t going to, so it fell onto us.”_

_“It did not.” She sucked in a breath and threw in the last of the letters before carefully sitting down at an armchair nearby. “Stefan and Damon. They—”_

_“—chose their side.” James added, taking a step forward._

_“We promised ourselves that we would distance ourselves from them when we left. What happened to that?”_

_“You know what happened. Monsters lived among us in Mystic Falls. Not only that but Mr Salvatore was harboring the biggest one, the one who took your happiness—”_

" _I am still happy!”_

_James_ _sighed and closed his eyes. “It is already done.” Lydia stared at her brother with a look of disbelief. Her brother didn’t respond; instead he stared at the crackling flames as it consumed the unsent letters before spitting out the ashes of its remains. “...Father received a response from Mystic Falls last night——the preparations are done, soon Mystic Falls will be purged of those vampires—” He paused as he turned to face his sister. A cold smile graced his handsome face as stared deeply into Lydia’s eyes. “—And we simply watch the show from the comforts of our refuge.”_

_“Yes, until they find the letters father and you sent.”_

_“ **If**. If they find it that is.” James replied with a knowing smile. _

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Another chapter delving deeper into Ava's family lore and how they are connected to the town. It was hard trying to come up with all the events and names along with figuring out how they fit into the story but I actually had fun writing scenes 0f 1864. The Fitzroy family are probably the most calculating founders family bunch, they're basically the instigators and Ava may seem different but we'll see.


	15. Lie to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are spiralling out of Ava's control as the tomb is finally opened, bringing her nightmares to life.

Chapter 14: Lie to Me

* * *

"Hey Bon, it's me again for the hundredth time." I sucked in a breath while I locked my car and started walking towards the grill. The cold winter air cut into my exposed hands like knives as I shivered violently.

I sighed again and continued. "Is everything okay? You've been radio silent since your date." Throwing my perfectly curled hair back, I pushed the door to grill. "Call me. I'm worried." I ended the call and started scanning the half empty grill for a sign of my perky blonde best friend.

Caroline sat alone in a booth, playing around with a strand of her hair while staring at her boyfriend with a lovestruck smile that almost made me puke. Don't get me wrong, I loved those two together.

Matt caught my eye as he waved, one-handed before resuming his work. Guess, he was still on the clock. I simply nodded in response, still too tired from last night's mess to muster any energy for any social interactions. Caroline was lucky I even decided to get out of bed for her. I huffed and plastered on a smile for the cheerleader who was waving me over to her with a huge smile on her face.

"Ava!" She squealed in greeting as she engulfed me in a hug. For once, I welcomed her hugs. Reluctantly, I hugged her back. "Where have you been?" She let go and sat back down.

"Schoolwork...and other stuff." I replied as I loosened the belt on my short burgundy leather trench coat before taking it off. Carefully, I put it off to the side and pulled the sleeves of my black turtleneck sweater.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at my response. "What kind of stuff?" I blew out a breath, opening and closing my mouth, trying to think of an excuse. She leaned in and stared at me hard, her teal eyes bore into my light brown eyes. "...Is it the witchy kind-of stuff?" She whispered with a hand over her mouth.

I pulled back and rolled my eyes. "That's Bonnie's thing. Not mine, Care."

"Hey, I get points for guessing."

"Guessing wrong."

"There was an effort."

"Poor effort."

"I tried. I'm not psychic like Bonnie."

"You're right." I retorted with a sarcastic smile. Caroline scoffed, luckily forgetting what we were talking about. She looked at Matt who was working around us for support. Matt shrugged, gesturing to his wrist and the large clock behind the bar. She huffed again.

I snorted. "Guess Matty agrees with me." Smirking, I twirled my hair.

"Silence is not an agreement." She retorted.

"Anyways, speaking of Bonnie, have you heard from her?" I questioned as Matt placed a mug of hot mocha and a plate of brownies in front of me. I mouthed a quick thanks to him before refocusing on my best friend.

Caroline picked up a brownie and took a bite. "Ugh, no. Bonnie and Elena have done it again." She replied with her mouth full. "I've been trying to call them since the morning to tell them about Duke's party—by the way you're coming, no ifs or buts."

"Caroline..." I began.

"Come onnnn. It'll be fun. God knows we need some fun." She took another bite of her brownie. "Besides Bonnie and Elena abandoned me, they're probably not gonna show up..." She trailed off, looking down at the table.

Pursing my lips, I stared at her. "You're guilt tripping me." I stated, staring at her blankly.

"Is it guilt tripping to want one of your best friends to come to this awesome party with you? Then yes. I am guilt tripping you. Besides Matt's going too."

"I'll be the third wheel."

"Tyler's gonna be there too."

"Tyler?" Tilting my head, I stared at the mayor's son who stood over the pool table. When he noticed me staring he winked while I tightly smiled and nodded in greeting. Turning back to my friend, I gave her a look. “Annd, what am I supposed to do about that?”

She rolled her eyes and huffed. “It’s not a stupid party.” She retorted. She bit her lips and stared at me with wide eyes and a pout. “Come on, Ava. Please.” 

I tried to think of another excuse. Trying so hard to rack my brain for anything but nothing came up. Holidays were right around the corner and unfortunately, I was too organized for my own good. I had no excuses. I was caught up with almost everything despite the supernatural drama here and there, I actually had nothing to do in the upcoming weeks. Unless, you counted the whole tomb situation but that’s not something I could exactly use as an excuse.

Closing my eyes in defeat, I breathed out tiredly. "Fine. I'll go." Caroline squealed loudly and clapped her hand in excitement at my response. Unconsciously, I opened my eyes and smiled at her.

I picked up the mug of the mocha and took a sip. "So you haven't heard nothing from Elena either." I asked, slightly concerned. I mean, unlike Bonnie, Elena had people looking over her. People being the Salvatore brothers and occasionally me. Bonnie, on the other hand, only had me and her grams.

Glancing up, I noticed that Caroline had pursed her lips, looking annoyed. She shook her head. "Well I asked Jeremy earlier and he said she's somewhere with...Stefan." She scoffed. "...You know, I am so not going to be one of those girls who disappears just because she has a new boyfriend."

I threw her a look and started to defend Elena. "You say that now—"

"I mean it." She cut me off with a stubborn look.

I rolled my eyes and gave her a small smile in response. I guess I couldn't argue against her. If I had to be honest, I really didn't know the Caroline and Elena of the now or anyone of my childhood friends. Caroline, that I remembered, was stubborn and loyal in her own way, almost similar to the Caroline that sat in front of me. But Elena of then was also loyal and stubborn along with being a terrible liar, so much so that she wouldn't try to lie at all.

_ But she did lie. _

A small voice in my head whispered. My thoughts echoed back to last night and the days where she lied about Vicki's whereabouts. If I had to be honest, I don't think I knew Elena of the now, at all. I thought back to what I had told Damon last night. I didn't lie, I remembered Elena as someone who was loyal but now I was questioning myself if I really knew her at all.

* * *

_ Darkness was the only thing I could see with my eyes open or closed. I groaned and complained, picking myself off the ground. I was getting tired of this. With no signs of this dream or vision ending, I tried to move around but the darkness was too heavy. _

_ Not wanting to give up, I tried again to feel the rough jagged stone walls to move around. Unfortunately, I didn't get far enough. Small, loose stones littered across the stony floor caused me to trip again. _

_ In frustration, I tried to will my hand to glow up but it failed. All of a sudden, flaming torches sparked to life, lighting up the tunnel ahead and bathing the entire cavern in a flickering orange glow. The cave-like building was old and abandoned so long ago that ivy had started growing on the crumbling walls while spiders made homes in each corner. The walls were crumbling, stone bricks looked on the verge of falling down while the iron gates looked rusted. _

_ I paused in my steps and my eyes widened. I've been here before. No, I haven't. I'd seen it, I think. I didn't remember. But this looked familiar. Like somewhere, I shouldn't be. Somewhere, I should get out. _

_ Slowly, I turned to find an exit. But instead I found bodies around me. Some slumped over each other, some standing but not moving and some laying on the cold floor. I don't know if they were dead or not. They seemed alive but at the same time, they were not. Swallowing my fears, I moved closer to examine the bodies. Their skin was grey and cracking. Eyes, hollow and vacant. _

_ Just as I was about to touch one. Everything around me rippled and disappeared. _

"—Hey." Jeremy waved his hands in my face in greeting, snapping me back to reality.

I shook my thoughts off and plastered a smile on my face as I noticed that Caroline had gone off to flirt with her boyfriend, leaving me the plate of brownies empty. I sighed and took another sip of the mocha before I turned back to Jeremy.

"Hey, Jer." I replied, gesturing to him to take a seat. "So what do you need this time?"

Jeremy slid into the now-empty seat in front of me and rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I need something from you?"

"Well, that's because people only come to me if they want something." I retorted, finishing the contents of my cup and wiping my mouth with a napkin, like nothing had happened.

"Whatever. Um. Can you tell Elena that if she's gonna stay out with Stefan, she should at least let Jenna know."

"Jenna's worried?" I asked.

"Obviously." He leaned forward and stared at me. "Doesn't your uncle get worried about you when you don't go back home?"

"That happens rarely. I always go back home."

"God. You're such a goody-two-shoes."

"Whatever. I'll let Elena know about...y'know." Turning away from him, I fumbled around my coat for my phone. I paused and turned back to Jeremy. "Wait. Elena has a phone, why can't you guys just call her."

Jeremy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "We tried. No answer."

My stomach dropped at Jeremy's words. First Bonnie, now Elena. My mind started to wander, trying to piece those two pieces of puzzle together. It couldn't be. Elena was probably with Stefan, like always.

Just as I was about to say something, the loud ringing of my phone interrupted us. Jeremy gave me a look as he clutched his chest in surprise, only for me to shrug in response. Hey, not everyone kept their phone on silent twenty-four-seven.

I pulled out my phone from my coat's pocket and turned it over in my hands. "It's Stefan." I said to Jeremy who nodded and mouthed something in response.

Flipping my phone open, I held it to my ear. "Hey, Stefan."

"Elena's missing. Anna took her."

My eyes widened and I smiled awkwardly as Jeremy stared hard at me. Carefully, I turned away from him. I sucked in a breath and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't get Jeremy's attention.

"...Sure, I can pick up Elena from your place." I responded after a while.

"No. That's no—"

"In fact, I was just about to head to your place." I quickly put on my coat and left a few notes on the table for the food. I paused to look at Jeremy. "I'll see you around then, Jer." I waved him goodbye and pushed the door to the grill open.

Dropping my smile, my eyes hardened and I all but ran to my car. "You were with Jeremy." Stefan stated on the other side of the phone while I struggled to find my keys.

I only grunted in response and got inside, starting the car. "Yep, sorry to say but I'm not always alone, on standby for you and your brother."

"—I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. I'm kidding." I blew out a breath and carefully, propped my phone on the passenger seat. Taking a turn out of the Mystic Grill parking lot, I continued. "So how did Anna take Elena, you were there."

"Jeremy invited her over last night."

"Smart." I nodded my head. "She played the cute new girlfriend card." Anna must have used Jeremy to get the Gilbert journal and then used him again to get Elena.

"Elena's the leverage." I stated out-loud, realizing that Anna wanted the tomb open as well for whatever reason and she wanted it open bad.

"Leverage for what exactly?"

"For you and your brother to open the tomb, obviously." I took another turn, getting closer to the boarding house which really hadn't been a boarding house since Zach's 'death'. "Look, you both clearly care about Elena. Plus she's a dead ringer for Katherine which gives her a target on her back. Makes her the perfect leverage." Stefan stayed quiet, letting my words mull in his head.

I parked my car near the boarding house and got out. "I'm here, by the way. Oh and Bonnie's also missing so we have our hands full."

"Bonnie's missing?" He questioned. The level of concern is his voice increasing. I felt bad for Stefan. If he wasn’t a vampire, he would be dead from all the stress he had to deal with. It was a miracle that I wasn’t as stressed. Maybe because I had some faith in Stefan’s abilities after all. Maybe. But I would only reluctantly admit that out loud.

I made a sound. "Unfortunately—can you, um, get the door?" With that, I hung up and rang the doorbell. Instantly the door opened. "Ste—"

My face fell when the wrong Salvatore greeted me on the other side of the threshold. Damon leaned over the half-opened door and smiled at me with a lazy grin. "Good morning, sunshine." He waved at me with his free-hand. "Here to brighten up my day or—" He placed his hand under his chin and pretended to think before he leaned over to me. "—Are you here to help Stefan?"

Annoyed, I poked the inside of my cheek with my tongue. "Can you get out of my way?"

"Wow. I was being nice."

I sighed. "Fine. Damon, can you  **please** get out of my way?" I tried again with an even wider smile.

Damon shrugged and let out a breath before moving out of my way. "Stefan's in the study, drilling a hole into the ground." I nodded. Turning around to make a sarcastic comment, I found myself alone in the dimly lit entrance of the boarding house. Damon had disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

Hand under my chin, I sat on a couch in front of the fireplace of Salvatore boarding house. The fireplace was lit and I watched the flames in silence while Stefan paced behind me. Like Damon had said his brother really was trying to drill holes into the floor. The noise of his footsteps was starting to drive me insane.

Riing.

Stefan stopped pacing in an instant and flashed over to his phone. Elena. He mouthed to me before holding the phone close to his ear. I swallowed and sat up straight, leaning close to Stefan who stood over me.

"Elena? Are you okay?" Stefan desperately asked on the other side.

I watched as his face fell and his jaws clenched. His phone on the phone tightened and I knew why. "—Tell me you have the grimoire and she'll stay fine." I could faintly hear someone on the other side of the phone. Anna, I thought with a grim expression.

The grimoire again. I was getting tired of all this tomb business. If things actually played out accordingly then we wouldn't be going through this but no, Emily just had to save Katherine and by saving one, she had to save them all.

Lost in thought, I didn't even notice Damon re-entering the study while Stefan tried to negotiate a deal with Anna. He said nothing but simply watched over us like he was watching a play unfold with an amused smile of his.

I glared at Damon for finding this whole situation entertaining. We were in this mess because of him and his brother. At least Stefan was trying. Damon just rolled his eyes at me and shrugged. Don't shrug at me, Salvatore. This is your fault, I almost hissed out. God, I wish I had a stake right now.

"I can get it." My head snapped towards Stefan before my eyes trailed back to Damon.

Oh boy.

I poked my cheek with my tongue and stared back at the wooden floors. Damon wasn't gonna help at all.

"—your brother has it—I have the witch—meet me in— town square—30 minutes—we can—discuss—to work together."

With that, the call cut off and Stefan stared at the now silent phone with a forlorn expression on his face. We stared at each other for a while trying to decide if we were going to actually ask Damon for help. Well, I definitely was not. Stefan sighed, defeated, turned to his brother.

"Go ahead. Grovel again. Oh, wait no...I don't care." Damon still didn't care. No surprise there.

I rolled my eyes at his words and pushed myself off the couch. Stefan stopped and stared at me questioningly. Obviously asking if I had another plan. I simply shrugged and led him outside, hoping he would follow me. Tightening the belt of my coat around me, I pushed the entrance of the boarding house and went outside to the cold winter.

A gust of wind passed by me and I blink. Stefan had flashed in front of me. I blinked furiously trying to get rid of the chilling feeling of death before I grabbed his arm and brought him over to my car. He followed obediently

"We need to go see Sheila Bennett." I simply stated.

"And you had to tell me out here because?" Stefan asked, confused why I went through all that trouble.

I puffed my cheeks and rolled my eyes. "Because I don't want Damon to tag along."

"You don't have to worry about that. You saw back there, Damon doesn't care about Elena."

I almost made a face. Well, no. Damon did care about Elena or at least I'd like to believe he did. He just didn't care about helping his brother.

"No, but he needs a witch. Bonnie's missing. And the next available witch in town is—"

"—Sheila Bennett." He finished my sentence with a cold look on his face.

"Bingo." I looked over to the boarding house once more before going over to my car. "If Damon tags along, Miss Sheila is not helping us at all."

Stefan nodded understanding where I was coming from. Witches and vampires did not get along already. Damon would not be an exception, especially considering his little quest to get his psychotic ex back that might unleash a horde of vampires onto Mystic Falls.

With that, I got inside and started the engine, waiting for it to warm up a little. "Get in." I gestured to my—well aunt Diana's old car. "I'll take us there."

Without another word, Stefan got in. His face was still stuck in frown. Sometimes, I thought that Stefan worried more than the whole town combined. Constantly brooding for no reason. Then again, I would too if my older brother was a walking wreck. Luckily, I was blessed with an overachieving know-it-all older brother instead.

* * *

Stefan tapped his feet nervously as he sat next to me on the passenger seat while I drove through the town to get to where Sheila had pointed us to. I breathed out loudly and narrowed my eyes at him. At this point he was going to drill a hole into this car. I might be well-off but I wasn't that rich to replace or repair a second time around from vampire damage. Stefan mumbled some apologies before he stopped and instead turned away from me to stare outside. Maybe I should have let him drive instead, I wondered. 

I glanced over at him again. He stared outside with a complicated look in his eyes, his fist clenched and his jaws tight. He was stressed to say the least. I mean I would be too if my older brother was a raging maniac and a psychotic ex with more enemies than friends who may or may not be dead.

“Y’know you should be staring at the road.” Stefan mumbled out without looking at me. 

I smiled slightly before straightening my back and refocusing on the road. “Worried?” He turned to stare at me as he nodded. ”You’re a vampire, Stef.” 

“But you’re not.” He retorted in a quiet exasperated manner. “...If we crash you won’t magically heal and you’re not a fan of vampire blood.”

“True.” I nodded, pursing my lips and recalling the last time I had some of that stuff.

I almost recoiled in my seat recalling the bitter metallic liquid that Damon forced me to drink that night of his birthday. I didn’t hate it, the blood. But the fear of becoming one of them was something that had been indoctrinated into me since I could remember. Now that I thought about it. “...Forever is a long time.” I said out-loud, accidentally voicing my thoughts out. My eyes widened as I whipped my head to give Stefan an apology. 

I stopped when I noticed the expression on his face. There was a complicated look on his face. At first he looked pained like he was thinking of all the sufferings of his immortal and mortal life but then a small sad smile spread across his face. He pursed his lips and looked down at his hand. “Forever is a long time.” He echoed back, pursing his lips.

I turned back to stare at the road and craned to check the location Sheila had written down on a paper. Nodding at the address, I gripped the steering wheel tight. I could still feel Stefan’s eyes on me. “Do you regret it?” I asked, throwing all caution in the wind.

“Regret?”

“Becoming a vampire?”

“...All the time.” 

My grip on the steering wheel slackened, causing the car to almost swerve off the road. Quickly Stefan clutched the wheel and steadied the car. I was not expecting that answer. I shook my head and caught the wheel again. Stefan gave me a look before he slowly let go.

I mumbled out an apology, quickly. This time making sure to keep my eyes on the road. “Not the answer you were expecting?”

I shook my head. “Honestly, I thought that you...and Damon—” I swallowed thickly. “—turned ‘cause of Katherine...cause you both loved her.” I finished turning my head to Stefan before turning back to the road once more. 

“It’s complicated.” He simply answered, placing a hand under his chin. “...I know Damon also regrets turning.” He added as a quiet afterthought.

I coughed loudly and stared at him incredulously. “DAMON?!” I questioned. “Damon? As in the guy who promotes vampires more than Bram Stoker and Stephenie Meyer.”

Stefan snickered quietly for a second, that almost took me off my guard again. He composed himself, looking a little bit lighter now than he did before. “Yeah. He was different before and so was I.”

“Damon doesn’t hate you just because of Katherine, does he?” I questioned queitly. 

Silence replied to me as I could see Stefan lean on the window from the corner of my eyes, his eyes avoiding mine. But I could see his forest green eyes reflected in the side-view mirror. There was pain and a lot of anguish. Damn. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked him that. 

“You don’t have to answer tha—”

“Sorry. It’s just you remind me of someone I used to know.” Stefan cut in, sitting straight. My eyes turned to glance at him and then glance back. “Someone that could’ve been family.” _Lydia._ I thought. This time, I didn't dare to voice my thoughts out.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles almost turning white thinking back to what my ancestor, James had done. Needless to say, I felt the guilt of his actions now that the consequences sat next to me. I wonder if James ever thought about his childhood friends or did he just forget about them. 

We didn’t say anything after that. I just quietly drove us to the location Sheila had given us. The guilt was eating me up. I think Stefan could tell as he would glance over at me now and then, trying to almost read my mind. I didn’t bother to give him a hint.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Stefan asked quietly as he got out of my car after I parked it in front of an old motel on the outskirts of town.

The outside of the motel looked old and crumbling. It didn't take much imagination to come up with what it looked on the inside. The place was almost deserted.

The parking lot was almost empty. Apart from aunt Diana's old car, any cars there seemed to never have been moved since they were parked. Dust had formed on the windows and the doors looked rusted. If you looked close enough, you could see the paint from the cars chipping at the edges.

This was definitely the place. I followed after Stefan to a door. "Are you doubting Miss Sheila?"

"No, I'm just—"

"On the edge. I get it." I nodded and brought forward my crossbow. One of these days, I would have to learn how to use an actual bow.

“Ava. I—” Stefan started, clearly about to bring up what had happened in the car. I brought my index finger to my lips and made a motion to quiet down. He immediately shut his mouth. 

I pulled the notch back and loaded the arrow while keeping a few extras on me. Stefan gave me a look and quickly got in front of me. 'They're here' He mouthed just as a sharp chill passed through me. They were definitely here. 

I nodded as I quietly followed behind Stefan. He signalled me to wait. Taking a deep breath, he nervously counted down in his head before he shoved the door in front of us wide open.

The moment the door opened, I followed my instinct and shot the vampire down just as the sunlight flooded the darkened motel room. The man screamed in pain and tried to run for cover from the sun while desperately trying to pull out the vervain soaked arrow. Elena and Bonnie loudly screamed in surprise.

"Stefan!" "Ava!" Elena and Bonnie exclaimed loudly with a relieved smile.

I gave a look to my friends, taking a step forward and grabbing Bonnie with my free hand. "Less talking, more running." I hissed trying to get my friends out before the other vampire healed.

Stefan nodded, following my action grabbed Elena. "Let's get outside!" He pushed Elena out the door but he stayed inside.

Without a word to me or the girls, he walked over to the vampire on the ground. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out the other vampire's face in the cover of darkness. Anna had a helper. That was all I knew. The pizza delivery vampire who I ran over wasn't the only one.

I didn't bother to go check on Stefan or the other vampire. Instead, I hurriedly escorted my friends to my car while making sure to keep an eye out for Anna or her friends. Quickly, I opened the backseat doors as Bonnie quickly got inside.

Elena, on the other hand, lingered by the door, waiting for Stefan. "Elena!" I called out. "Get in." I gestured to the car.

She tried to argue before I narrowed my eyes and gave her a look of urgency. She backed down and reluctantly got in just as Stefan came out of the motel room.

Stefan flashed over to the car and got in wordlessly. I simply raised an eyebrow questioningly while he shook his head. I sighed and just pulled out of the parking lot, wanting to get the hell out before the sun set.

* * *

Mindlessly, I sipped the warm tea Sheila had placed in front of me while I watched the two witches talk. Bonnie sat next to me while Sheila, on the other side. While, Elena and Stefan had gone off to catch up by themselves. And I had no wish to be the third-wheel so here I was, having a tea party with witches.

"—How did you know where we were?" Bonnie asked as she leaned back in her chair. In front of her, her grams sat upright with a hand under her chin.

Sheila glanced at me for a moment before a knowing smile spread across her face. "Many things can fuel a witch's power." She stated. "Worry. Anger. After Stefan told me they had taken you, I had a lot of both. Simple locater spell was easy after that."

"I'm sorry. About all of this."

"Not as sorry as they're gonna be." Sheila smirked.

Behind my teacup, I could see a flash of anger in Sheila's eyes. I almost flinched back recalling how terrifying a witch's anger could be courtesy of my Grandma Janine.

Just as I was about to say something, Elena and Stefan walked back in. Elena let out a deep breath and walked over to Bonnie and me while Stefan stood next to Sheila.

"So what do we do now?"

I scoffed. " **We** are not doing anything, especially you Elena."

Elena shook her head ready to retort. "Ava's right." Stefan beat her to the punch and warned his girlfriend before turning his attention to the elder witch. "For now, you need to stay here."

I made a face and glanced at Miss Sheila, who looked amused by Stefan's words. "A prisoner, in my own home?" She questioned with a sarcastic grin. "I don't think so." She added.

Stefan shook his head. "I can't protect you if you leave the house."

"We'll protect ourselves." The old witch bit back.

That was the end of it or it should've been. Elena sighed audibly and I braced myself. "We need to let him have Katherine back." She stated outloud to all of us.

I brought my left hand to my temple and gently rubbed it. There was another headache coming. "Elena…" I started, not even sparing a glance at her. "...I love you and all but that is the stupidest idea you've ever had."

She shook her head at me and tried to convince us again. "He's not going to stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it."

"What if it's not it?" I retorted. "Seriously, 'Lena, if Katherine is really in there then we'd be dealing with her too. And what if she doesn't want to leave Mystic Falls? Remember she's older than both Damon and Stefan."

Stefan nodded agreeing, while Sheila simply watched on with a small smile. For a moment, everyone was quiet. My words had hit hard.

"He doesn't deserve to get what he wants." After a while, Bonnie added. There was a slight anger in her voice as she spoke.

"What other choice do we have?" Elena questioned.

I raised my hand. Stefan nodded at me to go on. "Well, we could stake him." I answered

"That's a good plan." Bonnie nodded.

"Guys..." Elena tried again before staring at Stefan who looked deep in thought.

Sheila shook her head and sighed loudly. "Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we tried to do to stay out of it." She paused for a second to glance at Stefan. "I'll open the tomb." She stated, defeatedly. At her words, I got up in protest. My eyes wide and palms sweaty.

Ignoring me, she continued. "You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over."

Stefan crossed his arms. "We still have to get Damon to agree." He said.

"He already agreed once." Elena pointed out.

"Yeah, and then we double crossed him."

"—I mean I told you both not to double cross him." I muttered, under my breath.

Stefan glanced at me and threw me a look while I simply shrugged. Fine, continue to ignore me.

"So now he's angry." He continued speaking as he hadn't heard my mutterings.

"He's hurt. There's a difference." She tried to defend Damon. "I think I know what I have to do."

Oh my god. I was starting to think that maybe Elena enjoyed being the damsel who would gladly be in distress. Annoyed, I sat back down and clasped my hands together.

Stefan and Elena stared at each other before she walked out. Stefan disappeared after his girlfriend while I turned to Sheila.

"Tell me you're not actually thinking of opening the tomb?" I asked with a grim expression on my face.

Bonnie stared at her grandma expectedly while Sheila smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I am."

"Grams…" Bonnie began.

"It's our family's unfinished business, Bonnie."

"No, it's not." I shook my head. "It's not your fault that Emily saved those vampires, it was her choice."

"And we are still haunted by the choices of our ancestors." She replied before grabbing my hand and leaning close. "You of all people should know that choices of the past will haunt the future."

I swallowed, remembering Arthur's choice to expose Katherine. Blinking those unfamiliar memories away, I tried again. "Okay...um...what about the fact that you can't withstand doing such a big spell."

Bonnie nodded at my words vigorously. "I'll manage. Bonnie will help me."

"Y'know even with Bonnie's help, it'll be too much."

"It must be done."

"Alright. I'll call my aunt Diana and uncle Nate to hurry back... they'll help."

Sheila stopped me from getting up. "They won't make it in time. Ava, stop. I understand, you're concerned but this must be done."

"Grams, please. Damon doesn't deserve to be happy." Bonnie cut in, trying hard to appeal to her grandma.

"I already promised Stefan."

I shut my eyes and sighed. "Then let me help." Sheila tried to protest. "I know I'm not a witch but—I'm something. You said I had a lot of magic and I know witches need that to do spells so I don't know—maybe you can take some magic from me."

She shook her head. "No! No, it'll be too risky. We don't know what you are. It could hurt you."

"I'm offering."

Bonnie glanced between me and her grandma with a nervous look. Her hands were shaking slightly as silence took hold of us again. I didn't know if I could be channelled by a witch but it was worth a shot.

Finally, Sheila relented. She looked away and pushed her chair back, getting up. "Fine, but if I sense you getting hurt. We stop."

"Okay, sounds good to me." I said, getting up.

Engulfing her and Bonnie into a hug, I held on tight. There was a growing sense of dread in my stomach that I couldn't shake off. Sheila was like a grandmother to me. I didn't know what I would do if I lost someone like her after losing Grandma Janine. Reluctantly, I let go and backed off. She gave me a small smile before turning away from me to gather her things for the spell.

* * *

"Hey, you!" Caroline hooked her arm around mine as she tackled me from behind.

I almost tripped and fell onto the forest floor. Luckily, I wore my riding boots with grips. I caught myself before I fell and stood straight.  Turning my head, I glared at my blonde best friend who gave me an apologetic look. "Seriously, Care. You almost gave me a heart attack." I scolded her.

She puffed up her cheeks and blew out some air. "I was just super excited to see my best friend here." She defended herself. "Speaking of which, I can't believe you're here."

"And I wanna go home already."

"Come on, Ava. Don't be such a downer. Let loose. Have some fun." She let go and walked a few paces in front of me before turning back to stare at me. "Wait. Isn't your uncle out of town or something?"

"He went to campus to submit some assignments before the holidays. Actually, he's supposed to come back tonight." I caught up with her and walked side-by-side with her. "He called a few hours back, apparently aunt Diana's coming back with him."

"Sounds fun."

"I guess. My parents are probably gonna be back too for the holidays if aunt Di's back."

"She's the one who used to make those amazing dark chocolate cookies with those little white chocolate chunks, right?" I nodded at her words.

I smiled fondly, remembering the past family Christmases. My smile slowly faded when I remembered that this year, it would be different. Grandma Janine was gone and vampires were back in the center of our lives.  Before Caroline could notice my silence, I pointed to a distance and nudged my best friend. "Look who's over there." I said with a low voice, gesturing to a blonde boy in the distance.  I watched as a soft blush spread across her cheeks and she smiled shyly before looking at the ground. I burst out into a huge smile seeing Caroline happy, she deserved this so much. I was happy for her and Matt. They both deserved the world.

She looked back up. Her smile had faded and she looked a little concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just..." She glanced at Matt again. "Do you think I'm being too clingy?"

"Is this about your speech?"

"Yeah and the fact that Tyler thinks I'm too clingy."

I stopped walking and turned to stare at her. "Caroline, you're not clingy. I think your speeches are cute. We all do different things when we are in a relationship."  Dana walked over to me and handed me a red solo cup before disappearing. I checked the contents of the cup before taking a sip. Alcohol, the good stuff too. Whoever Duke was, he knew what was up. "Oh, and by the way. Who cares about what Tyler thinks?"

"Tyler is Matt's best friend."

"Okay...um...last I checked you're dating Matt, not his best friend."

"You're right."

"Always am."

"Ugh. Don't get too cocky—" She stopped just as Matt walked over to us. "Hi again."

Matt nodded before he turned to me. "You made it. Here I was thinking you were gonna blow us off again."

I scoffed and laughed a little. "Okay. What the hell? You two keep acting like I'm always blowing you guys off."

"You are." "Kinda." Matt and Caroline answered at the same time, noticing this they stared at each other before blushing and turning away. I rolled my eyes at them and sighed. Thanks for the reminder you two.

"Hey, we're just saying. We get you're busy with stuff but you need to relax sometimes." Matt said with a grin.

"Gee thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Caroline beamed brightly at my words and opened her mouth to add more. But she stopped. Her gaze wandered away from me and Matt as her face fell. I watched her carefully and followed her gaze. Oh my god.  I clenched my jaws for a second before plastering a tight smile on my face. Caroline, unconsciously mimicked me and glanced over at me. We both had the same thing on our mind.

What the hell was Damon doing here?

Well, I knew what he was doing here but I expected him to go straight to the tomb not make a detour. Caroline clapped her hands together, trying to cheer herself up before glancing at her boyfriend and me. Without another word, she walked up to Damon and Elena.  Matt and I shared a look before we reluctantly followed after the cheerleader. 

"Elena, hey!" Matt greeted her first while I simply waved at her with my freehand.

"Elena!" Caroline engulfed Elena into a hug before pulling back and standing next to her boyfriend. "Oh my God, where have you been?" She continued as she grabbed Matt's hands and intertwined her fingers with Matt's.  Seeing that, I took another swing of my drink. This was gonna be interesting. Looking back up, I noticed Elena's lingering gaze at the couple's little action before she looked away. Well, that was interesting.

"Long story, no time to tell it." Damon quickly jumped in uninvited.

Caroline turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't talking to you." She bit back at her ex-boyfriend.

"Sure you were."

"Damon." I quietly warned him, under my breath just low enough for him to hear me. He rolled his eyes and gave a little shrug.

"You probably don't remember, we've met before. I'm Matt." Not sensing the air around us, Matt held out his hand for Damon.

"Matt, there's a reason why I don't remember you. You and I are going that way." Damon grabbed Elena's arms instead and started dragging her away. "You coming, sunshine." He called out as he walked away. Matt and Caroline both looked at me questioningly, I shook my head.

"Well, I'll be seeing you." I waved at them before emptying my cup and throwing it in a black plastic bag.

Matt stopped me in my tracks. "Be careful." He said as he let go and went back to his girlfriend.

The old stone entrance of the tomb looked haunting in the darkness of the night as I trudged up to the entrance. From a distance, the entrance looked ruined and abandoned. Looking closely enough, I could see the stone bricks crumbling. On the far sides, there were traces of ivy crawling on the ruins that looked like dark veins on the face of the tomb.

With a deep shaky breath, I carried on. I paused when I noticed Damon standing near the edge of the woods watching Elena go into the clearing where the Bennett witches and Stefan were waiting. I waited for him to go but he didn't budge.

"Aren't you gonna go make your grand entrance?" I called out, walking up to him. "I mean it is your night."

Damon said nothing for a while and just stared at the tomb. "Can I trust them?" He asked, not facing me.

"Elena and Stefan?"

"Yes."

"Unfortunately, yes." I answered and tried to dodge past him.

I stopped as Damon grabbed my arm and spun around to face him. "Elena told me you're letting the two witches siphon your powers."

"Elena talks too much."

He ignored me and carried on. "You volunteered even if it could hurt you. Thank you."

Narrowing my eyes, I pulled my arm free. "I didn't do it for you. I did it Bonnie and Miss Sheila." I spat out and tried to stomp away. "What?"

"Here." He bit into his wrist and offered it to me. Blood spilled out of his bitten wrist as his vampiric healing kicked in and started slowly closing the wound. I almost recoiled in disgust. "Don't look at me like that. A truce?"

"This is a truce?"

"You're gonna need it."

I pushed his wrist away and started walking away. "Thanks but I'd rather die than become like you." I saw him flinch back and I almost felt bad as Stefan's words echoed in my head. Nice going. Wait. I stopped myself from pitying him too much, after all he wasn't that person anymore. Damon in front of me was not the Damon, Lydia knew. Time had broken him. I tightened my fist and lightly climbed down the stairs. Forever is a long time. 

* * *

Elena waited near one of the trees near the tomb as she kept a watch out for Damon and me. Her hands wrapped around herself protectively as she paced around. She stopped when she noticed me and Damon trailing behind me. Damon took the lead, his mood shifting instantly as he whistled and grinned while overtaking me.

I poked my cheek with my tongue and begrudgingly followed after him, Elena choosing to trail after me. I watched as Damon held out the grimoire with confidence while a feeling of dread started to grow in the pit of my stomach. Relax.

Breathing in and out slowly, I tried to calm myself. We were just gonna open the tomb. That was it. After all, nothing really was coming out. Not unless Sheila and Bonnie completely undid the spell.

"—re you sure that Damon will come back with her?" I heard Sheila question just as Damon broke through the clearing.

She sensed our presence and whipped her head to glance at us. Her eyes turned cold as she noticed Damon's jovial mood.

"Brother. Witches." Damon greeted, striding past them with the grimoire and straight into the tomb.

Elena walked over to Stefan and let out a deep sigh. "Everything okay?" He asked his girlfriend.

"I just want to get this over with." Elena answered before turning to Bonnie. "Are we ready?"

"I guess so." Bonnie nodded as she glanced at me. She really didn't want to do this but Sheila had promised and she wasn't someone who went back on her promise.

Saying nothing, I grabbed a flashlight and walked over to the tomb's entrance. "Then we should get going." I said to everyone as I gripped the stone walls of the tomb and descended down the stairs.

My heart was beating loudly in my chest as I slowly went down into the tomb. The stone walls around me looked like it could crumble and fall on me at any time. It scared me a bit to walk through this old ruin but it had to be done. I kept my eye on the flashlight and jumped off the final step of the staircase.

I could've used my abilities to light the whole tomb but Sheila told me it would be best to save my energy. Guess she didn't want me to push myself again. I looked up, my eyes widened and my stomach dropped.

"What's wrong?" Damon standing next to me.

I shook my head and swallowed heavily. I knew this place. Although I've never physically never been here before. I knew this place very well. How couldn't I? This place has been haunting my dreams for nights.

"Ava?" Stefan asked as he came down with Elena and the Bennetts. "Is everything okay?

I turned to Stefan with a frozen look before I forced a smile onto my face. "Fine. Everything's fine."

"You don't look fine." Elena said and grabbed my arms.

"Let's just get this thing done and over with." I freed myself and went over to stand next to Sheila who looked at me, concerned.

Without a word, Stefan started setting up torches that looked torches that looked too familiar to me. My eyes trailed to the tomb. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking of those desiccated bodies. All vampires. One particular vampire haunted me every night. The one who called for her daughter. Who was her daughter?

* * *

Sheila took a small branch and mumbled something under her breath. The branch's end burst into a roaring fire. Looking satisfied, she moved to the center of the circle to light the torches.  On the side, Bonnie stood next to her grandmother and Stefan. While I stood at the back with my arms around me, Damon next to me. He leaned against the stone wall and watched the witches carefully.

Now and then Elena would steal a glance at me. And every time, I would act like I was fine but I was not. I was not fine at all. I was freaking out. I know I should be used to my visions coming true by now but this was too much even for me.

"Air." Sheila lit the first torch. "Earth." Another one was lit. "Fire." And another.

"Water." Bonnie added as she held up an ordinary plastic water bottle. Sheila took it from her and opened the cap. We watched in silence as she sprinkled the water onto the dirt floor.

Elena made a noise and I turned to look at her. She looked displeased for a second. "That's it? Just water from the tap?" She said, sounding a little sceptical and entitled.

Sheila scoffed. "As opposed to what?" She retorted.

"I just figured maybe it would have to be blessed or mystical or something."

"Elena, be nice." I chastised. Elena mumbled a quick apology and turned her attentions back onto the witches.  With that, Sheila didn't bother to entertain my friend anymore. She simply smirked a little before continuing her preparations. 

The light from Stefan's flashlight moved away from the center. Unconsciously, I followed the light and found it's target. Damon.  Stefan pointed his flashlight at his brother as his face hardened. "What's that?" He asked in a low voice.

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going." He unwrapped some tubes around a bag to reveal a blood bag. Something that I had seen thanks to my mom's job.

I scrunched up my face in disgust and shook my head. "...Unless Ava—" He turned to glance at me before turning his head to stare at Elena. "—or Elena's offering a vein to tap." No one was amused in the slightest.

Stefan sighed loudly, too tired to deal with his older brother anymore. I almost zoned them out, catching one response from Stefan.  "—can't wait to get rid of you." He chuckled. The feeling was mutual, Stefan.

"Ava." Sheila called out to me.  Pushing myself off the stone wall, I was leaning on, I walked over to the center. I knew what I had to do. Sheila had, thankfully, ran by me the whole thing in case things go wrong. Gingerly, I offered her my right hand.  She held my hand in hers and unfurled it palm up. I watched in silence as she picked up a sharp dagger. Without a warning, sliced my palm open. 

I heard some shuffling noise and looked up. Damon and Stefan had almost broken through the circle. Their eyes turned black in blood lust as black veins protrude underneath their eyes. Stefan turned away from Elena and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.  On the other hand, Damon was back to normal within seconds. Turning back to Sheila and Bonnie, the older witch looked intrigued while the younger, scared.

Sheila then pressed my cut palm and mumbled something again, under her breath. I felt something buzzing underneath my skin and a warm feeling took over me before it was gone. She let go as I watched the wound in my hand glow brightly like the sun before the wound closed up in front of my eyes. The glow disappeared just as the wound closed up  Damon whistled, impressed. I simply glared daggers at him before sparing a look to his younger brother. Stefan looked better than before.

I took a step back from the circle and stood behind the witches. Bonnie got up and dusted herself as she nodded to her grandmother and me. "We're ready." She announced to the dimly lit room as she clasped her hands together.  Nodding her head, Sheila looked at her granddaughter and took her hands in hers. The witches stood facing each other, their hands interlocked.  The flames around us started dancing around wildly as Bonnie and Sheila started chanting at the same time in a language I could barely understand. It was familiar and strangely nostalgic.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked, turning to Stefan and me.

"Sounds Latin." Stefan craned his head towards his brother as he answered.

Elena shook her head. "I don't think it's Latin."

"It's not." I added in calmly.

"I didn't know you were an expert in Latin." Damon said out loud with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and stared at the flames. "When your grandma is—well was, a historian you pick up a few language indicators."

"Like?"

"I'm not telling."

"Hmm." He turned away from me and followed my gaze to the witches. "And here I thought we were getting along."

"Damon." Stefan warned his brother, shutting him up.

All of a sudden, the flames flared up. The chanting grew louder. I stood up straight. My calm and collected mask, almost cracking. The torches flared once again just like my vision. Unconsciously, I turned my bloodstone necklace in my hand to reassure myself.

I wasn't the only nervous when Elena gasped loudly, grabbing my attention. In fear, she grabbed Stefan's arm and looked around. "What's happening?" She asked and stared at the fiery circle.

Crash.

A loud crashing loud surprised us. Stefan hurriedly pointed his torch at the door. More loud creaking rumbled around the stone room. The loud rumbling stopped just as the witches stopped chanting.

"It worked!" Bonnie exclaimed quietly with a fearful look

"Of course it worked." Her Grams added with a serious look.  I breathed out loudly and nervously bit my lips. The dread was still there. I knew this wasn't going to end well.

Damon turned away from the tomb and looked at Stefan. "We have some fires to build." He reminded his brother of his promise.

I sighed as Stefan and I shared a look. Gently he touched Elena's shoulder. Almost like he was trying to reassure her. "I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back." He said before giving me another look. One that screamed 'take of Elena'. I knew that already.  Elena nervously nodded as she took a step back and held onto my arm. I patted her hands, comfortingly as Stefan disappeared up the stairs.

The moment Stefan left, Damon glanced at the witch before turning his attention to Elena.  "You ready?" He asked.

"What?" Elena gasped out.

"Damon—"

He turned to me and the witches as he pulled Elena away from me. "You think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you all can seal me in?"

Sheila took a step forward, standing protectively in front of Bonnie. "Don't take her in. I'll bring the walls down."

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't. You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you."

"Enough." Elena jumped in. I made a face, knowing whatever she was gonna say next was going to really annoy me. "Both of you." She added looking at Damon then Sheila.

"Look, he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I'll go." She finished her little martyrdom speech turning to Damon.

"You can't even protect yourself. There's about a hundred or so vampires in there, 'Lena." I tried.  Elena shook her head, having made her mind up. I turned to Damon and opened my mouth to volunteer instead.

"I know what you're gonna say but I'd rather have someone who won't try to stake me with my back turned." He cut me off with a sarcastic smile.  I clenched my jaws and let out a frustrated breath. "Oh. And for all I know, you could be in kahoots with them." He added as an afterthought. He wasn't wrong.  With that, he moved past me and picked up one of the torches. "May I?" He questioned without even wanting a reply and turned away to enter the tomb.

Elena stared at us all before nodding reassuringly, and following Damon into the dark tomb. Bonnie and I shared a fearful look as I wrapped my arms around me. For once, things had gotten out of my control and I didn't like it at all.

* * *

I paced around the entrance of tomb, biting my lips and looking at the tomb for any sign of Elena or Damon. My ears were focused on the tomb.  I stopped when someone else came down the stairs. My instincts at this point to sense vampires were useless considering the tomb was full of them. A girl came down. Her face half lit by the flickering torches.  The girl ignored us and headed straight to the tomb. 

Bonnie noticed this and tried to block her way. "Hey, you're not going in there!" She tried.

"You think you can stop me?" The girl spat out, turning around.

Anna. That girl was Anna. "...Your mother is in there." I quietly stated without meaning to.  The woman from my dreams flashed in front of my eyes. Her haggard face overlapping with youthful Anna's as she begged for her daughter.  Her daughter, Anna. 

Anna's head snapped towards. She gave me a scan, checking if I meant any harm before she nodded. Her face devoid of any visible emotion but her eyes were sad and lonely. I almost felt bad for her.  Grams noticed this and quietly called out to Bonnie. She glared at the vampire as she slowly stepped aside. Anna stared at the three of us for any sudden movement before she crouched down in front of me and grabbed Stefan's discarded flashlight of the ground.

With that she sprinted straight inside the tomb, no hesitation. As she disappeared, Bonnie grunted and turned to her grams. "Why did you let her go in?" She asked, clearly angry at the girl for kidnapping her earlier.

Sheila and I shared a knowing look. "Because she isn't coming out, baby." She said. "None of them are." She added in just for the weight of her words to sink in.

Bonnie's eyes widened as she eyed her grams and me. She opened her mouth to say something before I cut her off. "I'm gonna go get Elena out before Damon realizes the truth."

The elder witch nodded sombrely. "Be careful. Remember, Bonnie and I are still siphoning off of you. Use your powers as little you can."  I made a sound and threw her a quick before walking up to the door of the tomb. I swallowed thickly and took a deep breath in before walking straight into the darkness. Unfortunately, this time I didn't remember to bring my crossbow. I only had the bloodstone and myself.

The only sound that met my straining ears was my own echoing footsteps. Cold. I shivered violently trying to make sense of where I was. I knew where I was. I had been here before in my visions. Like in my dreams, I reached out my hand to feel my way. Blindly, I stumbled into the cave-like place, catching myself before I fell hard on the cold unforgiving stone floor.  With as much strength I could summon, I pushed myself off the wall and stood in the center of the path. I breathed in and out, trying to catch my breath. In that time, I decided to check for any injuries. My hands were a little scratched up, nothing I couldn't handle.

Small, loose stones littered across the stony floor caused me to trip. Should've seen that coming. In frustration, I tried to will my hand to glow up. Unlike my dreams, it glowed. I watched apprehensively as tiny specks of light all pulled each other together to form a smoking orb of light. I let go of the orb and closed my eyes. I tried to picture it floating above my head.

When I opened them, the tunnel ahead was bathed in soft sunlight. Above me, the orb of light gracefully floated. Like in my visions, the cave-like building was old and abandoned so long ago that ivy had started growing on the crumbling walls while spiders made homes in each corner. The walls were crumbling, stone bricks looked on the verge of falling down while the iron gates looked rusted.

Gasp.

I know I should've expected this. But seeing them in front of me was different from seeing them in my head.  All around me there were bodies. Slumped over each other, some standing like living statues and some laying on the cold floor. So this is what a vampire looked like without any blood for over a century.  Swallowing my fears, I moved past them. Not bothering to get close to examine the bodies. I knew what they looked like. Their skin would be grey and cracking. Eyes, hollow and vacant.

I gasped again and pushed myself back from the edges of the tunnel when I noticed their eyes moving. Oh great. They were awake.  Haunting whispers filled the air as the eyes followed my every step. I made a gesture and the orb floating above was pulled into my hands. I held it up defensively and moved past them.

"Elena." I called out.

No answer. I breathed out tiredly and tried again. "Elena!" I said louder than before. "Elena, can you hear me." I kept calling out my friend as I ran through the labyrinth-like tomb. From a distance, I heard a scream and ran towards it. 

I almost screamed bloody murder myself as I bumped straight into Stefan. "Shh. It's me." Stefan tried to calm me down as he stared at me.

"You scared the hell out of me." I gasped and clutched my chest in shock. "I almost killed you." I added, gesturing to the orb in my hand.

"Thought you would sense me."

I straightened up and stared at him incredulously. "Stefan, we're in a tomb full of vampires."

"Point taken." He said with a tone of urgency. I shook my head in disbelief and took the lead. Gesturing the orb to go back to floating. Stefan was with me, there was no point to be on defense. "That's new." He pointed at the orb floating above me.

"Yep. I don't know how that works but I'm figuring it out as I go."

"As long you don't push yourself too hard." I turned my head and threw him a smile before turning back to finding Elena. I was met with more and more bodies at each turn. Each staring at me in rabid hunger like I was their prey. I needed to find Elena fast.

My blood ran cold when I heard another scream echoing through the tomb. Stefan and I stared at each other and I tried to picture another orb following Stefan. Within minutes, another orb formed above him. "Go." I said. He flashed towards the sounds of Elena's screams as I ran after the light. I could feel the second orb pulling me towards it.

"—Let her go!" I heard Stefan spit out he pushed Anna aside, freeing Elena. "Go. Go. I'm right behind you. Ava should be around."

I caught a brief glimpse of the woman on the ground. The woman that was haunting my dreams. Anna's mother. Through the dimly lit tomb, I could tell her daughter resembled her a little. Despite being covered in dust and caked in blood, there was an air of mystery and mischief around her. One that her daughter shared. The east Asian vampire weakly beckoned her daughter as Elena freed stumbled towards me.

I pulled the second orb away from Stefan and turned to grab Elena. She almost jumped at my touch. "Hey. Hey. It's me." I held her arms and tried to calm her down. Scanning Elena for any injuries, I paused as I noticed her bloodied wrist. There was a huge bite mark on her wrist from where Anna's mother had bit her. Drip. Drip. I watched in horror as her blood haphazardly dripped down her wrist.

Elena breathed heavily trying to calm herself down before her eyes adjusted to the bright light around me. Well, it was bright compared to the rest of the tomb. "Ava. Thank god you're here." She engulfed me into a hug, almost sobbing in fear.

I gently patted her back before pulling back. I shoved my hands into my coat pocket and took out a silk coral scarf. Holding it up, I tried to visualize it as a make-shift bandage. Would it be enough? I wondered. I bit my lips and through all my calculations away and grabbed Elena's injured hand. There's no way I could let her have that wound out in the open in a tomb full of starved vampires. Wordlessly, I wrapped the scarf around her wrist and tied it as tight as I could. I gave a quick scan to my work just as the coral was starting to get dyed with deep crimson. Well, there goes my mulberry silk scarf.

Sighing, I grabbed her uninjured hand and tugged at it. "Come on. We have to get out here before 'they'—" I gestured to the decaying vampires around us. "—wake up. Come on." I pulled her along after me as I ran straight out.

* * *

Kicking my legs, I pushed through the maze like tomb as I tugged Elena along like a rag doll. Now and then, she would try to stop and look for her boyfriend, only for me to tug at her harder. But every time, I made sure, I didn't accidently snag at her injured wrist and accidentally undo my work. I panted loudly as I dodged the starved vampires and pushed myself off the rocky walls, trying to find the exit. All the while, the orb of light, relying on my memories calmly guided us to exit. Seeing the dimly lit opening of the tomb, I almost threw Elena out the door and hunched over at the threshold in point. We both panted tiredly, trying to gather our breaths. I glanced up at the orb and blinked. The light scattered and faded away.

Standing up, I walked over to the witches who looked up from the grimoire. I crouched over a wall near the witches as Sheila turned to me and handed me a unopened water bottle. Gently she patted my back in comfort before getting up and joining her granddaughter. On the other hand, Bonnie had a grim look on her face as she stared at Elena. "Elena, Stefan…" She started, trying to tell her the truth.

"Elena, Stefan…" She started, trying to tell her the truth"

"He's right behind us." Elena said between her breaths. As if to check if Stefan was there, she turned around. "Stefan, what are you doing?" She asked, walking up to him

Like her, we all turned to stare at the door of the tomb. There Stefan stood in the doorway. I mouthed apologetic words to Stefan, feeling guilty that he was caught up in this. We didn't plan for him to go in neither did we plan for Damon to take Elena in as leverage.

"It's gonna be okay." Bonnie said calmly. "We'll fix it." She added as I turned to stare at her, confused.

Elena looked at all of us. "What is it?" She questioned.

"I can't." Stefan tried to say he couldn't get out.

"Can't? Can't what?"

I sucked in a breath and let it out. "He can't get out." I stated quietly.

"The spell's still up." Bonnie added. "We can't get them out yet."

Elena made a pained sound before turning to look at her boyfriend. "You went in there not knowing if you could come back out?"  I stopped, hearing Elena. Wait, she actually said something sensible. Stefan, knowing she was right, looked down. Choosing not to answer out of whatever he was feeling. He stayed silent.  "Oh, my God." Elena carried on.

"I heard you scream." Stefan finally answered.

"We can't leave him in, there. We promised him. Both of us." She took a step back and started again.

"I know."

I almost groaned hearing them talk about Damon. He was the whole reason Sheila decided not to fully break the seal.  "Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long." Sheila broke their little moment and tried to warn the couple of the consequences. 

Stefan nodded at Sheila and disappeared back into the tomb to find his brother.

I looked down as I leaned against a stone wall. Up until now, I didn't bother to do or say much. But looking at Sheila and Bonnie, I knew it would be too risky for them to go on tonight. Just unlocking the tomb must've taken on Sheila, though she didn't show it.  Wordlessly, I picked up the discarded dagger Sheila had used before and held it in my palm. "I'll help." I sound out loud.

Sheila sighed and tried to argue but she didn't get far as I sliced my palm and grabbed her hand. I also grabbed Bonnie's. Without anymore arguments, she started chanting again. Bonnie did the same.  The warmth this time felt hotter than before like I was in a volcano. I breathed out tiredly and watched as the witches pulled back. My hand healed slower than before.

* * *

Elena paced around the witches as I sat on the stairs and watched over them. My eyes would go blurry for a second before they went back to normal. My head felt like it was being split open but I didn't let it show.  In the center of the circle of flaming torches, Sheila and Bonnie were reciting the spell to lift the seal. The torches flared up as Elena and I stared towards the tomb.

The flames crackled and the stones creaked louder and louder. "I think it's working." Elena said with a nervous laugh. She turned to get closer to the tomb.

I watched as she flinched and took a step back when Anna came out. She carried a woman with her who was hunched over her shoulders. Her mother. I thought.  "I just wanted my mother back." She said to Elena. There was hint of sadness in her voice. "Jeremy's fine. He's outside. I won't touch him." She added before making her way to the stairs.

I got up, feeling a little better as the chanting grew fainter. I walked over to Elena and peered inside the tomb.  Flames of the torches cackled loudly. Sheila shrinked back and started chanting again. "Bonnie, keep going!" She paused and turned to Elena. "They better hurry." She said before carrying on chanting.

Elena swallowed heavily and turned back to the doorway. "Stefan, they can't hold it much longer!"

All of sudden, the torches start to sway and flicker. I bit my lips and brought my hand to my forehead. They weren't gonna last any longer. Come on Stefan. I waited for a few seconds as I threw a glance at the witches and Elena before sprinting back inside.  Elena followed after me. This time, I didn't bother to summon light and instead used my muscle memory to lead my way.

"Damon, we need to get out of here." I heard Stefan beg as he tried to get Damon to leave.

"It doesn't make sense." Damon ignored his brother and kept going on. "They locked her inside."

I made myself known and stepped out of the shadows. "Guys, we need to hurry. Sheila and Bonnie can't hold on much longer."

Stefan nodded, agreeing. "You heard Ava. If we don't leave now, we're not getting out."

"How could she not be in here?" Damon continued almost in a daze.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here. She's not worth it!" Stefan grabbed his brother's collar and tried to reason with him once more.

"No!" Damon shouted angrily and pushed Stefan away.

"Hey, guys. We need to—" I groaned loudly. The headache was back. A loud white noise blocked my senses for a second as I almost stumbled and fell on to the floor. I didn't even notice Elena come in.

"—va." Elena and Stefan called out to me in concern. I blinked quickly trying to make out their faces.

Damon stopped pacing and ranting, staring at me as well. "—hat's wrong—her?" He asked, turning to look at his brother and Elena.

I didn't hear Stefan answer or I don't remember him answer. But I snapped out of it long enough to barely hear Elena. "—gave Shei—mor—blood. She—s fine, a few min—ago."

The ringing disappeared and my senses started returning to me slowly. "I'm fine." I muttered out, trying to stand back up. Drip. Drops of blood dripped down my nose as I desperately tried to run it away. Not wanting Bonnie or Sheila to see me like this. "I'm fine." I repeated louder.

Stefan shook his head in disbelief and turned to glare at his brother. "You stubborn idiot." Damon called out, stomping over to me.

"...You're the idiot." I breathed out.

"I know." He said quietly as he grabbed my arm.

I don't remember much of what happened next. All I remember was trying to get them out by repeating what I had said before about Sheila and Bonnie. When I opened my eyes, I found myself outside the tomb. 

Damon let go just as Stefan and Elena exited the tomb. Finding back my control, I blinked quickly and got up like nothing had happened. The piercing hot feeling faded away. I gasped when I realized that Sheila must have cut the connection.  The witches continued chanting louder and louder but now I could no longer feel the connection. I watched from the sidelines helplessly. The tomb closed with a loud crack.  Elena and Stefan engulfed each other into a hug as I ran towards the Bennetts. I turned my head, trying to find a sign of Damon. He stood near the stairs, his face covered by the darkness. But I could tell he was watching Elena.

"She's not Katherine." I muttered under my breath just so he or Stefan could hear me. Damon didn't say anything.

Carefully, I helped Bonnie to pick Sheila up. I threw a look to the couple behind us before I too trudged up the stairs with the witches. I led the two Bennett's to my car, choosing to drive instead of letting Bonnie or Sheila drive. Honestly, I was feeling much better than before. My head was clearer. And that made me worried.  I watched in the rear-view mirror as Bonnie carefully propped her grams up as comfortably as she could. Bonnie looked a little bit better but Sheila, not so much. I was suspecting that Sheila might've transferred her magic or energy to me and Bonnie. But I didn't dare say it out loud.  Quietly I drove over to Sheila's house. I made a mental note to call uncle Nate and aunt Diana when I got there to check how far they were.

* * *

"Hey." I quietly greeted my uncle over the phone as I paced around the cluttered Bennett living room. Keeping an eye on Sheila who was helped to her bedroom by Bonnie, I paused to lean over a wall facing the sofas.

"Hey, how are things going over there?" Uncle Nate answered with an air of nonchalance.

I bit my lips and stared hard at the Bennetts. Sheila’s face had lost a lot of color. She looked pale. Her eyes had lost some light that used to hold a fierce spark. And her glossy hair was now drenched in sweat. 

"Honestly...not so good." I answered, not taking my eyes off Sheila.

"What happened?" I heard aunt Diana ask on the side. Her soft but dreamy voice was seeped in concern.

I ran my fingers through my hair anxiously and blew out a breath. "Uh. Where do I begin?"

"From the start would be nice." Uncle Nate chimed.

"I...don't have the time for that. How far are you two?"

"Not that far, actually. We just passed the grill." There was some shuffling on the other end.

"We're close to the manor." Aunt Diana added.

"Don't go home." I swallowed. "Come to Sheila's. It's important." I added with a tone of urgency.

I hung up and flipped my phone close. The small charm hit the phone violently as I did so. Without another look, I tossed it on the white couch before making my way through the hallways to Sheila’s room. Slowly, I walked over to Bonnie. She stood over her grams who laid in bed. Her face painted with concern and fear. 

"How is she?" I asked as I engulfed her in a hug and gently rubbed her back trying to soothe and comfort her.

I let go and took a step back. "She says she's fine but…" Bonnie trailed, folding her arms around herself trying to hold herself together and stop herself from breaking down. 

"She's not fine." I finished. I turned to glance at Sheila with a grim look. I didn’t know if she was going to make it through the night. But I couldn’t tell Bonnie that. Maybe if aunt Diana and uncle Nate were here. Then, we’d have a small chance. At least, that’s what I thought. 

"Yeah. I could tell it was a big spell on her. Maybe I pushed her too hard." She walked me to the kitchen and sat down on the same table we sat around earlier today. Her hand under her chin, she looked up at me from her seat. "I thought that maybe cause you were helping she'd be fine but I didn't think it wouldn't be enough."

I shook my head. "It was enough. I think your grams cut the connection between us all." I said as I sat opposite her. 

"What? Why would she…"

"She must've sensed—" I cut myself off and got up as the house bell started ringing.

Saved by the bell, I thought as I walked over to the front door. If I had finished talking, Bonnie would feel even more guilt over what could’ve been. I didn’t want her to drown in any more guilt than she already did. What happened tonight was not her fault. 

I heard a knock on the window and turned my head to check. A tall man with deep mahogany hair that almost glowed a deep shade of dried blood in the street lights peered in through by sticking his face close to the window. I narrowed my eyes, recognizing those features and sighed. Really uncle? I rolled my eyes and opened the door. 

A shorter woman stood outside the door next to the man. Her jade green eyes searched her surroundings while she played with her mahogany hair that she shared with her brother and pretty much the rest of Fitzroy family. Hearing the door open, she stared at me with a bright smile, noticing me she tapped her brother who quickly stood straight.

"Hey, Nate and...Diana." Bonnie greeted from behind me. She had a towel in her hand as she looked confused. Her eyes trailed to mine as she tilted her head in confusion.

I poked my cheek and gave a look to Bonnie. "Hope you don't mind, I called them over to help Sheila." I said.

"What happened to Sheila?" Aunt Diana asked as her smile fell. 

Bonnie and I shared a look, debating on whether or not I should tell them. "Ava..." She started, not knowing that aunt and uncle were also witches.

"We're like you, Bonnie." Aunt Diana stepped inside as her little brother followed her. "We're witches too."

"Technically, I'm a warlock." Uncle Nate corrected his older sister as he stood over us.

"Oh." Bonnie’s eyes widened and she looked taken aback by the news. She nodded understandingly, too in shock to say anything else. 

"Here." Aunt Diana grabbed Bonnie's hands for a minute before letting go. "See." Bonnie nodded. "So what happened to your grams?"

I sucked in a breath and started filling them in. Now and then, Bonnie would jump in to add bits and pieces, fill in the gaps and all that. I watched as my aunt and uncle visibly paled when I mentioned the tomb being completely opened. The two siblings in front of me shared a look of horror between them.

Aunt Diana shook her head and got up from the table. She went out to the uncle Nate’s car outside and returned after a few moments with some plastic bags in her hand. Bonnie got up and stared at aunt Diana's hands. "What's that?"

"Some herbs." Aunt Diana answered. She held up the bags and took out a could of ziplock bags with some dried herbs inside. "It won't be much, just my emergency stuff. Your grams probably should have some more of this stuff too."

Bonnie nodded as she led aunt Diana to her grams while aunt Diana handed some of her herbs to her brother. "We'll get started." Uncle Nate stated we started to make our way to the kitchen.

* * *

From a distance, Bonnie and I watched as uncle Nate mixed some herbs in and burned some too. We had no idea what he was trying to do but all we knew was that it would help. I heard him chant something under his breath as the flames below the pot or the cauldron danced wildly. There was sweat forming on his brow. I could tell that he was not used to this. He and aunt Diana technically weren’t practicing witches. They hadn’t really touched magic much compared to my grandma or Sheila.

On the other hand, aunt Diana had stayed by Sheila's side, doing her best to heal her or reduce her pain. Aunt Diana had more experience with more magic, at least that’s what I remembered but like her brother, she abandoned practicing magic once grandpa died. I still don’t know why. But that’s not what my main concern was. 

The doorbell rang again as I craned my head to stare at the door. "Must be Elena." Bonnie said, getting up. I was left alone watching uncle Nate who struggled to stir the concoction on the stove.

"Is Miss Sheila going to be okay?" I asked in a small voice. 

Uncle Nate stopped stirring and turned to me. "I don't know." He answered, defeated and tired. "Overuse of magic is not uncommon but at her age it's...worrying."

"...Is that what happened to grandma Janine?"

He nodded, his hands shaking as he stirred the mixture. We all knew what happened to grandma Janine. She had sacrificed herself for this stupid town, trying to keep up a magic that she shouldn’t have. Another reason why none of them ever went back to practicing magic. I looked down at the table, my hands clasped together. My hands had become clammy from all the sweat. The death of grandma Janine was still fresh in our minds and now her closest friend was on the brink too. 

I almost burst into tears. Holding myself back from breaking down, I choked on my own breath. Uncle Nate threw me a look of concern and I covered my face, hiding away from my surroundings. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry if I did. 

"Ava. You in here?" Elena called out from the door.

I picked my head up and sat up straight, trying to keep my emotions in check. "In the kitchen." I called out in a hoarse voice.

Bonnie led Elena to the kitchen as she sat down. "Hey, Nate." She waved at my uncle apprehensively as she glanced at me with a questioning look. I simply shrugged. Too tired to answer or come up with something to comfort my friend.

"Elena." Uncle Nate simply nodded as he went back to his task.

Elena nodded back and turned to the two of us. "Does he know?" She asked quietly.

Bonnie nodded as she filled her in on the whole thing. Elena bobbed her head understandingly as her eyes wandered to my uncle. She curiously tried to get a look at the pot but before she could get closer, her phone started ringing. "I should get this." She said in a hurried tone before getting up and going off to answer her call.

Just as she said this, uncle Nate stopped. "It's done. This should work. I think." He said. "Um...I need a cup."

Bonnie got up and scrambled through the kitchen. She pulled open an overhead kitchen cabinet and scanned it’s contents. She paused before taking out a tea cup and saucer to go with it. "Will this do?" She asked, holding the pieces of painted china up.

"Perfect." He grabbed the china off my friend's hands and poured in the herbal tea mixture. "It should work." He muttered under his breath. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself. His hands shook a little as he passed it back to Bonnie. My eyes watered as I tried to furiously blink away the tears. Sheila would be fine. She would be fine. I echoed in my head as I bobbed my head. 

Knock. Knock.

Aunt Diana knocked on the kitchen door and poked her head out the side of the open doorway. Her dark curls spilling over the white door and walls while her bright eyes stared at us. "Is it done?" She asked, biting her peach painted lips. 

Bonnie held up the teacup for her. Aunt Diana sighed in relief and led the younger witch to her grams' room. Uncle Nate and I followed after her. Bonnie hummed under her breath and plastered a smile on her face, trying to be somewhat optimistic.

She paused outside the bedroom and knocked. No answer. That made me worry. But she pressed on. She turned the door knob and entered the room. "Here you go, Grams." She placed the teacup on the nightstand when she noticed Sheila sleeping. Seeing this, aunt Diana and I shared a look before we slowly retreated into the hallway. We decided to wait in the kitchen, giving the Bennetts some space. 

All of a sudden, I heard a shattering sound as Bonnie screamed out. My eyes widened as I heard her desperate cries. "Grams! Grams, wake up!" I ran back to the bedroom and watched as Bonnie shook her grandma, trying to wake her up from an endless sleep. "Grams! Grams!"

"Bonnie..." I began, taking in the image in front of me. 

"Ava, she's not waking up. I—" I gently pushed her aside and tried to feel for a sign of a faint pulse. The color had completely gone from Sheila Bennett’s face. Her body lay limp on the soft bed. Her eyes wouldn’t open no matter how hard Bonnie shook her. Her hair fell limply to the sides as the tightly coiled curls looked looser and had now completely lost it shine. And a deathly bluish tinge had started to paint her lips. I choked back a sob as I pushed myself to the nearest wall for support. 

"Elena!" Bonnie called out, seeing me slowly lose it.

Elena ran into the room. The footsteps echoing loudly through the small house. I pushed myself off the wall and kept trying to find a pulse just as my uncle and aunt ran in too. They both ran to Sheila's side and started muttering spells under their breaths. 

"Help! Wake up!" Bonnie cried hysterically, trying hard to wake her grandma up. "She's not breathing! She's just not breathing! Please, wake up!" She cried harder as more time passed. 

“She’s cold.” I breathed out as Bonnie listened to me intently and started rubbing her grams’ hands for warmth. I mimicked her but stopped as the harsh realization started to sink in. Maybe she’s gone. I shut my eyes and backed away, trying to shake those thoughts away. Sheila couldn’t be dead. She couldn’t be. She promised. She promised to be fine. 

I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself. How was I gonna face my mom? _This is your fault._ A small voice whispered in my head. _Useless._ _Useless._ The voice kept hammering on. I bit down my lips almost drawing blood as I painfully drew a breath, trying hard to shut down my inner voice. 

Uncle Nate cursed out as his sister cursed under breath. My head snapped to stare at them. Gone was the small confidence they had held, now they looked on the verge of panic. Then it hit me like a tidal wave. The spells were not working. 

“She’s cold.” I echoed again. Taking a deep breath, I put my hands over Sheila's face. “...I should warm her up. She’ll be fine.” I muttered. A soft glow slowly started to emit from my hands as small drops of blood started to fall on the pillowcase next to Sheila’s head. “She’s gonna be fine.” I tried again, in a daze.  _ Just like Vicki. She’ll be fine.  _ Just like Vicki...

"Ava. No!" Uncle Nate grabbed my hands away and the glow disappeared. The small dusts of light dissipated around me as I snapped out of the daze just as a loud static overwhelmed my senses and I collapsed onto the floor. Uncle Nate sat next to me and held onto me as he held up a handkerchief to my nose. 

More sounds of footsteps. I didn’t pay attention anymore. My eyes wouldn’t move from Bonnie or Sheila. It was like I could only focus on those two."...Call an ambulance. Now." I barely heard Aunt Diana give out orders to Elena.

I barely noticed Elena run out the room to get her phone as Bonnie also got up. My eyes snapped to stare at the younger witch. Her face stained with tears as a crazed desperation took over her. My eyes widened as I recognized that look all too well but I felt too drained to do anything. I guess I gave my all. I watched helplessly as she went over to Sheila's grimoire and nodded. "I'm gonna fix it!" She shouted with renewed vigour. She flipped over the pages, trying to find a spell to bring back her grams. "It's okay, I can fix this!"

"No! We can't let you. I'm sorry." Aunt Diana wrapped her arms around Bonnie and pried her off the grimoire just as Elena ran back in to tell us the ambulance was on the way. Uncle Nate patted me on the back once as he ran after his sister and snatched the grimoire off Bonnie as his sister held onto the younger witch.

I was too numb to do anything else. Before I knew it, tears started falling down my face as I choked out and let out a cry. I choked and started wailing quietly with a hand over my mouth, bowing over the floor next to Sheila’s cold dead body. She was gone. I could feel the lifelessness from the old witch. Before all I could feel from her was warmth and power, now all I felt was cold and a sense of nothingness. I gasped as my lungs desperately tried to take in air. I let out another quiet wail as the tears cascaded down my face. 

"Bonnie...Bonnie." Elena grabbed a hold of Bonnie from my aunt and shook her.

"No! No! I can fix it! Grams, I can fix this!" Bonnie fought against my aunt and Elena, trying to get to the grimoire once again. I turned to see her fight desperately against the restraints. Her eyes wild and in clear denial.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie." They all called out but she didn't listen. Her grief consumed her as she started to break down. 

Shakily, I stood up and faced my best friends. "She's gone!" I shouted out, my voice rough. "I'm sorry Bon." I brought my hand to my mouth, trying to stop myself from breaking down any more. At my words, she sobbed even harder. I dragged myself over to Bonnie and engulfed her in a hug. "I'm so sorry. She's gone. I'm sorry."

Elena wrapped her arms around us, trying to hold us all together. Bonnie sobbed even harder and screamed out in grief. I poked my head to stare at the cold dead body through watery eyes and let out an audible breath. Sheila Bennett was gone. Just like that. And I couldn’t do anything about it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Debated saving Sheila but then realized that it would be a little too messy overall. Like half the story arcs would not happen if Sheila was alive. Silas arc and the whole search for cure would not happen at all. She would just shut that down. Sadly she had to go. 
> 
> More changes made - Arthur is now James. Also if anyone is reading on Fanfiction.net, just know I update there first but AO3 versions are usually the more up-to-date since it's easier for me to go back and edit here then there. 
> 
> Anyways, Happy New Year to all the reader. Hope this year is better than the last and stay safe.


	16. The Glass Menagerie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fitzroys are back in town, dealing with the aftermath of Sheila's death but family bonding for Ava is not what usual families do. On top of that, Ava is struggling to forgive Elena and Damon for what happened.

Chapter 15: The Glass Menagerie

* * *

> _19th December 2009,_
> 
> _It’s been awhile since I last wrote anything here. I don’t know where to begin. Things have spiralled out of control. It feels like everyday is one bad day after another. I know I mentioned before that maybe Damon would be the worst thing this town would experience in a long time. But I was wrong. Funnily enough, he’s been keeping a low profile since that night. Guess the disappointment finally sunk in. I mean I did warn him about Katherine and the tomb._
> 
> _Speaking of the tomb, it was opened, a few nights ago and it already claimed one life. Sheila Bennett’s. I guess opening the tomb was too much for Sheila. I did let her siphon whatever magic I had in me but I think I might’ve been a little too weak or something, Sheila cut off the connection the moment it got too much. After that, I think she must have tried to carry the spells all by herself, not even letting Bonnie share the burden. All that magic took a toll on her and like grandma Janine, we lost Sheila. Her funeral was today. Not surprisingly the whole town showed up along with some people from Whitmore. Mom cried out hysterically. I mean why wouldn’t she? Sheila practically raised her after her own mother died. Bonnie was numb, she didn’t cry or say anything and her mom never showed up. Poor thing._
> 
> _Mom’s still trying to reach Abbie but no sign, even Mr Hopkins tried to get through to her but nothing. At least he showed up for the funeral. He’s probably gonna leave soon. Rudy Hopkins, Bonnie’s dad never sticks around much since Abbie left him. I feel bad for Bonnie but all I can do is be there for her._
> 
> _I hate the fact that I couldn’t save Sheila. I hate the fact everything has been going wrong since the whole Spring Break trip. God I wish I never left Lakewood but now it’s too late. I can’t just run away from it all. Not without letting guilt eat me up._
> 
> _\- Ava R. Fitzroy_

Putting down the pen, I closed the leather-bound journal and set it aside on the dressing table. I sighed and shut my eyes for a second before breathing out loudly and sitting up. I stared at the journal for a moment, contemplating my next move. Pulling a drawer open, I carefully used the small dangling from my bracelet to open a hidden compartment under the drawer. There, I placed the journal and put everything back as I found it. I wasn’t a secretive person, I was being cautious. It’s not like I didn’t trust my family or anything but it never hurt to be extra cautious. 

Beep. 

A sound from my phone, stopped me in my tracks. Great, more messages. No doubt from Stefan or Elena apologizing. I clicked my tongue and walked over to the dressing table. My phone was neatly placed on a corner of the table. I blew out a breath and picked it up.

_1 Missed Call._

I scowled as I flipped the phone open. Immediately, I closed the phone after seeing the caller. I scoffed in disbelief and almost let out a sarcastic laugh. Damon had guts to even think of contacting me after everything. I admit, I was thankful for the times he saved my life but that meant nothing compared to what he did for Katherine. 

“Ava?” A soft and cautious voice called out to me. I turned my head to glance at the door to my room. There my mom stood with her hands clasped together. Between them, I noticed her phone. “Bonnie’s sleeping here?” She asked, gesturing to me with her head. 

"She's coming over in an hour or so." I nodded, walking over to her. “Did Abbie pick up?” I questioned. 

Mom let out a grunt and shook her head. “I don't know where she is. I don’t even know if she even still has this number. She didn’t even come back for her own mother’s funeral. I don’t know what is going with her—Like where is she? What is she doing? I don’t know anything—I’m just—Ugh.” She groaned and loosened her braided hair in frustration.

“Stressed.”

“Yeah.” She huffed and sat down on the couch. 

For a moment, she didn’t say anything. She just stared into thin air. Too tired and sad to do anything or say anything. My mom who was always so full of life looked like she had seen better days. Sheila had, after all, practically raised her after her parents and younger sister died. 

I didn’t even notice but she had gotten up from her seat and stood in front of me. “What happened to Sheila...wasn’t your fault.” Mom pushed my hair behind my ears and pursed her lips. Her eyes glazed over. 

I looked down and bit my lips. “I failed her and Vicki.” I continued, ignoring what she had just said.

She shook her head. “No. You didn’t.”

“You don’t understand—” 

“Ava.” She stopped me mid-sentence with a soft but stern tone. Her eyes still glazed but now her jaws clenched and her hands shaking slightly. Slowly, she retracted her hand from my shoulder and clasped it over her chest. 

For a moment, neither of us said a thing. The only thing you could hear were the distant voices of my cousins running around the house and the sounds of the wind rustling. I watched in quiet sadness as mom sucked in a breath painfully and let it out. Her eyes had now started to turn an unsightly pinkish red from holding back tears. 

Mom shook her head wordlessly before she broke the veil of silence that hung around us for what felt like hours. “...I...I know what you are going through, seeing death so close—” She swallowed thickly. “I know but—”

“—You get used to it. Being a ‘Founder’.” I cut in with a cold look. 

She rolled her eyes and huffed, a few teardrops escaping. “Yo..you do. But that’s not what I was going to say.” Turning away from me, she moved closer to the door to the hallway. “I just want you to know that you can’t save everyone, Ava.” She continued, letting go off her clasped hands. “...Sooner you learn that, the sooner you’ll understand.”

“...I understand. I..can’t save everyone…” I repeated the words absentmindedly. “Then what’s the point of it all?”

“I don’t know.” She let a deep breath and wiped the stray tears before she plastered on a smile that radiated warmth and hospitality. 

The woman in front of me from her posture to her expression looked so different from what she was a few seconds ago. I wasn’t really surprised but almost used to her switches and she wasn’t the only one. Everyone in this godforsaken family was like this. Even me. _If you look away, it’s not there._ That was the unsaid rule in our family next to _survival above all_. 

_“_ — _I_ — _don’t know what to do.” ““I really don’t know what to do.” “She needs me.” “...Lost another one.”_ — _needs me.” “...Lost another one.” “Maybe I should visit their graves.”_

What surprised me were thoughts. They were vastly different from what was on her face. My mom had become so used to loss that she just bottled it all up. I see why she had chosen to be a doctor now. Despite what she said, it was obvious that she still felt guilt over being the only one in her family to survive. But she still carried on. A part of me admired the woman in front of me for not drowning in her guilt. Yet accepting the notion of not being able to save everyone made me feel helpless. Like what was the point of it all, if I couldn’t save anyone at all. 

_You saved Zach._ That’s right. I saved Zach. Maybe I could get-

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“What on earth?!” She scowled. 

Well there goes my time to wallow and pity myself. I huffed and turned to swing the door open. Unconsciously I gladly invited the distraction. Mom followed me out the door, into the hallway. I almost tripped as a small figure sprinted past me. I barely heard a hurried and out-of-breath apology as mom and I shared a look. 

Another figure, taller than the last sprinted from up the staircase and started to approach us. Gently, I dragged mom back. I frowned when I registered the face. He was tall and had an athletic build with soft hazel eyes along with the signature Fitzroy dark mahogany hair. There was no mistaking it. That was my older cousin, Christian Novak. I had forgotten that everyone was actually home today. Joys of the holiday season, not. I sighed and quickly realized what was going on. Dean, his younger brother, had done something stupid once more. Guess thirteen year olds nowadays were on something else. 

“Christian.” Mom greeted sternly.

“Sorry aunt Layla but gotta go.” He dodged past mom and ran even faster. “COME HERE, YOU LITTLE TWERP.” I heard him bellow down the hall. 

I snorted and bit my cheek to stop myself from laughing. Mom shook her head and turned to stare at the stairs. Silently, I counted down in my head. 

  1. 4\. 3. 2. 1. 



“CHRISTIAN GRANT NOVAK AND ERIC FLYNN NOVAK!!” The loud and shrill screeching voice of my aunt Evelyn pounded through the large Fitzroy manor as she stomped up the stairs in a furious stupor. 

My oldest aunt, Evelyn Novak, was clad in black as her figure appeared near the top of the stairs. Like a ghost of vengeance, she marched straight past us. An elegant black velvet dress hugged her curves, coming just past her knees and matching leather gloves adorned her hands along with black tights and low black heels. Her dark mahogany hair was pulled back in a simple bun with few graying strands tucked in between. A pearl necklace hung off her neck, swinging against her collar while she stomped over to her sons who had ceased running. Needless to say she was furious. Her dark brown eyes were cold and jaws clenched as she huffed. 

Her sons had all but stopped running. Instead, they kept pushing and shoving each other as their mother marched over to them. “I wonder why aunt Evie is mad?” 

“When is she not mad?” I heard a reply that was different from my mom’s voice. My head snapped to stare at the figure. It was my dad who leaned over a wall next to my mom. 

“Gabe, be nice.” Mom hissed. He simply shrugged with a smirk. 

“Sooo what happened.” I asked under my breath. 

“We’ll see.” He replied as more footsteps were heard.

Aunt Diana ran up the stairs gracefully, her brother and husband, Ethan Honeycutt, followed her. Uncle Ethan ran his fingers through his honey-blond hair as he held aunt Diana’s hand with a curious glint in his dark gray eyes. Uncle Nate, as usual, had a mischievous smile on his face. 

Seeing almost all the house gather, I leaned back just as Daniel came out from his room. He looked tired but eager to know what was going on. He and I shared a look as we leaned back against the walls near us and watched as the show began. 

“Moooom.” Lauren Novak’s loud voice echoed across the halls as she ran to her mother. “Look! Look!” She gestured frantically to a small statue in her hands that looked broken. 

Aunt Evelyn stopped glaring at her sons and turned to look at the broken statue and then back at her sons. “See what you two did!” She pointed at the crumbled antique in her daughter’s hands. Lauren’s jade green eyes gleamed with mischief as she stuck out her tongue at her brothers. 

“He did it.” The Novak brothers chimed in at the same time. “No! You did it.” Flynn shoved his older brother and pointed at him. 

Christian scoffed. “Right. I totally threw a frisbee in the library instead of finishing my essays.” He rolled his eyes and dusted off his shoulders. His younger brother shook in anger. 

“Alright, I better break this up before this escalates into a fist fight.” Dad pushed himself off the wall and walked over to Lauren. He tapped her shoulders and pointed at the crumbled statue. “Can I have that?” He asked in a small voice. 

Lauren pursed her lips and looked at my dad with wide eyes. She bit her lips, looking around her mom and then at me like a child who had been caught doing something they shouldn’t. I narrowed my eyes at this and let out a little laugh. It was her. She broke it. Well, I could hardly expose her since I had just broken a vase during one of my out-of-control power trips where I lost control of the light-thing. So I zipped my mouth. 

Instead, I watched as dad placed the statue in his hands and examined it. His eyes crinkled and narrowed as he brought his face closer to it. After a moment, he turned to my brother and gestured to him to do something. Daniel, without a word left. He came back with a black plastic bag and opened it. Dad simply dumped the remnants into the trash bag and dusted his hands off. 

“Problem solved.” Dad said with a satisfied smile.

“You just dumped it into a trash bag. If anything, you’ve created another problem.” Aunt Evelyn pointed out dryly. She crossed her arms and stared at her younger brother unimpressed. “That was an antique.” 

“It was an imitation.” 

“It was an antique that belonged to **our father**.”

“Again! It was a goddamn **imitation** , Evelyn.”

Aunt Evelyn scoffed. “I think I would **know** the difference Gabriel.” 

“Would you?” His eyes drifted over to Lauren’s who cowered slightly in fear of being discovered. I held my breath and stared on with wide eyes. Dad let out a little laugh. “The real one is in the vault.” He added softly, going back to the initial subject and trying to diffuse the growing tension in the house. 

Aunt Evelyn held her tongue and didn’t bother to retaliate. Seeing this, Lauren’s eyes started to glaze over as she bit her lips to prevent herself from crying. She puffed up her cheeks just as they were tinged with a bright red blush against her pale skin. I watched as she looked down in childish guilt, her dirty blonde hair spilled over her shoulders and covered her face.

“Aunt Evie...” I called out, standing straight and walking over to stand in the middle of the hallway. Aunt Evelyn snapped her head to stare at me. Her gaze softened as she stared at me in silent shock. It was like she had forgotten that there were more people in the house. "You’re scaring Lauren.” At my words, she blinked twice and moved to engulf her youngest into a hug, patting her back in comfort. 

Dad threw me a grateful look and tried to end this whole show. “Come on, Eve. It’s the holidays. Relax.” He tried to coax his older sister to calm down. 

Reluctantly, aunt Evelyn nodded. She stood up and glanced at her sons. Without another word, the Novak brothers stubbornly traded apologies mixed in with some insults while their younger sister looked on. God, I was so glad that Daniel and I moved past that. 

“Tis the season to jolly...” Daniel hollered tiredly out of nowhere while everyone else stared at him with a dead look. He did not care at all and carried on singing Christmas carols. I snickered quietly. That was my brother. A total idiot but also the smartest guy you would ever know. 

* * *

Birds chirped loudly as they flew overhead. The wind rustled against the leafless branches as we tracked through the rocky private trails behind the Fitzroy manor. There was a carpet of white untouched snow blanketing the whole trail. Some icicles had formed along the branches of the trees and the small stream nearby had frozen over. 

Up ahead, Uncle Nate led the group. Flynn walked alongside our uncle as he chatted animatedly and swung the makeshift wooden axe over his shoulders. Christian sighed loudly seeing his younger brother’s actions but made no move to tell him off, unless he wanted to attract the wrath of his mother like he did, two days ago. 

“Flynn. Axe.” Daniel called out in a bored voice. At his warning, Flynn sobered up and started treating the mock-up with more care. Christian’s head snapped to stare at my brother as he mouthed a word of thanks to him. 

Quietly, I watched from behind and unconsciously smiled as I tugged at my jacket. The dark short padded jacket was warm against the sudden December chill but lately it seemed as the weather got colder, I didn’t really feel it, strangely enough. I paired the jacket with some thick winter leggings and tall hiking boots with some grips. This wasn’t the first time, uncle Nate had taken us on a ‘training hike’ since the holidays began and Sheila’s funeral had passed. I wasn’t prepared enough the first time around and was stupid enough to wear heeled boots. Red tinted my face in embarrassment as I remembered how I tripped and slid

I jumped over a boulder and landed on my feet but crouching on the ground, holding onto it for support. Daniel heard me and paused, Christian followed. I signaled that I was fine and caught up to them. Christian moving aside to make way for me. I quietly thanked him and adjusted the quiver strap over my shoulder. 

The untouched snow crunched beneath our feet as we trudged further and deeper. The branches swayed once more in the wind as the winter chill kept dancing around the woods. By now, Flynn had started whining, complaining about the distance to the training grounds and asking why we didn’t have a training ground at the manor instead. 

Well, that was a good question but I knew the answer to that. “...It’s because back in the day, it was easier and more safer to do this. The manor was a shelter and used for entertaining guests.” I vaguely heard my uncle answer in the distance. 

“Hey, at least they were more smart enough to have emergency weapons at the manor.” Christian commented off-handedly. 

“Yep. Only one huge vampire attack later.” Daniel added with a sarcastic smile. 

Uncle Nate turned his attention to them and shook his head. He laughed before ducking and dodging stray branches in his way without even looking. Like I knew he would, Flynn looked at his actions in awe and tried to mimic, only to almost fall forward. His older brother grunted and rushed forward, pulling him back before he fell. 

Flynn groaned, freeing himself from Christian’s grips and bent down to pick up the wooden axe from the snowy ground. “Are we there yet?” He whined again. 

“Almost.” Uncle Nate called out. “Just a little bit further—cheer up. This is a good warm up for you all.”

At his words, Flynn rolled his eyes as he panted and straightened up with a determined look on his face. Uncle Nate charged on while Flynn fell behind. Chrisitian ruffled his younger brother’s dishevelled hair and grinned, teasing him about something that I could not care to listen. And I guess neither could Daniel who boredly twirled a butterfly knife between his fingers. Show off. 

It was obvious looking at him that he didn’t really need this little training session as much as me or Flynn. After all, he and Christian were lucky enough to get enough training to get some skills before dad decided to shut down the whole vampire hunter thing. I only got the basic bow and arrow introduction down. Maybe if I had more time, I would probably be more confident with blades or staffs or even axes but I wasn’t. At least, mom was smart enough to get my gymnastic lessons. I knew that would be handy later on. 

I shook my thoughts on and halted to a large clearing. Huge stone walls with snow-covered ivy hugging each and every visible face of the wall, greeted us as we broke through the clearing. Uncle Nate stood near a huge metal gate. The gate was almost rusted with ornate metal work that might have looked impressive once upon a time. It was still impressive, I’d say. This was it.

“Welcome to ‘the Fort’.” Uncle Nate spread out his arms with a huge excited smile. Daniel snorted loudly at our uncle’s theatrics as Christian moved forward, unwrapping the chains around the hand and pushed the metal gate open with ease. He threw the chains inside the fort and walked in. “Way to ruin my moment, Chris.”

“You’re welcome.” Christian threw a grin at him and marched on. Uncle Nate pouted. I simply shrugged helplessly, following my brother in. Flynn lingered behind a bit, way too excited to move. “...Flynn, you coming?” Christian called out in front of me, craning his head to look for his younger brother. 

Flynn clutched his axe and his backpack straps in silent awe as he walked through the gates. Behind, Uncle Nate dragged the gates to a close. On the other side of the wall, there was an archery range and a sparring pit. Facing the metal gate was ‘the Fort’ itself. A large stone building, built in the early 1800s. It stood tall with old lanterns on it’s outer face, added in during the 50s. I had been inside before when I was young. 

I vaguely remembered the inside. There were a few bedrooms and some bathrooms along with a cellar, armoury and a kitchen. There was also forge, if I remember correctly. This place had it all. Every year or so it’d get an upgrade. 

No one really lived here or knew about this place unless they were members of our family. Not even the other founders knew about this. Vampires couldn’t be invited in. It was like our own bunker, in a way. Funnily enough, I think a bunker was added in the 60s underneath the fort. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case, knowing how paranoid this family was. I mean ‘overprepared’. Words of my dad. 

“Right. Twenty laps around the fort. Go.” Uncle said. Everyone’s heads snapped to stare at him in disbelief. He shrugged nonchalantly as he put down his backpack near the ground and walked over to the generator. He pulled a lever and the generator hummed to life. “Those laps aren’t gonna run by themselves. Go.” He barked, standing up straight and walking over to the left-side entrance of the fort or the entrance that led to the armoury. 

We all groaned again, tossing our bags and weapons of the snow-covered stone path and started preparing to run. Christian finished stretching and sprinted off into the distance, Daniel didn’t hesitate to follow. Seeing this, I vaguely heard Flynn mutter and whine in my direction. I smirked, finishing stretching before pushing my legs forward and starting to sprint. 

I sprinted around the path going around the fort. Unlike last time I ran, I wasn’t as tired. Really I was more energised. The sun broke through the clouds and shone down on us. I could hear Daniel and Christian panting loudly, trying to catch their breath behind me. Hearing them, I smirked. I caught up to them. 

Come on, a little bit faster. I kicked up my legs and picked up my pace. Now the fatigue was getting to me a little bit but I swallowed it and breathed out, kicking up my legs again. I gasped with each step. My lungs were almost burning as I tried hard to breathe. I kicked up my leg again and picked up my pace again, ending my ten laps before all the boys. Carefully, I halted to a stop and grinned as I crashed down near my backpack. 

Without even bothering to look at the others, I crawled over to my bag as I slowly recovered. Unzipping my bag, I took out my pink water bottle and opened it. I took huge gulps of water and capped it, breathing tiredly just as Christian finished his laps. 

“...When’d you...get so fast?” He asked between breaths, taking a huge gulp of water from his bottle. 

I just shrugged. “Practice?” I tried, not knowing the answer myself. 

“Yeah...that wasn’t just practice. I practice almost twenty-four-seven.” 

Just as I was about to reply, Daniel tackled him and stole his bottle from his grips. “Train harder.” He took a swing of the bottle and handed it back before crashing onto the snow covered grass floor next to me. “Don’t be bitter just cause Ava just beat you.” He laughed. 

Christian scowled but didn’t say another word. His eyes lingered on me with a look that screamed, ‘I’m watching you’. Daniel simply rolled his eyes at our cousin. 

Meanwhile Flynn dragged himself past us. Still on his tenth lap. His cheeks were a flaming scarlet and he was drenched in sweat. Alongside him, uncle Nate casually jogged whilst simultaneously trying to motivate him to run faster. Seeing Flynn like this, we all shared a look. Flynn was just not built for this. It was hard to believe that he even came from a long line supernaturally-blessed or cursed (depending on who you ask) hunters.

* * *

“Focus.” Uncle Nate stood a distance behind me. 

I breathed out, holding the bow close to me. “Well, it’s kinda hard to focus with you all standing behind me.” I barked out.

“Hey, not our fault we all have no talents for archery.” Daniel bit back. 

“At least you can throw knives.” Christian added, twirling a bo staff between his hands effortlessly.

“I can use a sword too and an axe. And let’s not forget I’m one of the few people here in this family that can make my own weapons.” 

“You guys are bragging now.” Flynn whined, glaring down at his wooden training axe. I almost laughed at his expression but held myself back. “Uncle Nate, I wanna pick a bow over an axe.”

“Later.” Uncle Nate distractedly called out. 

“Can you all shut up?!” I yelled. Everyone’s mouth clamped shut. “Thank you.” I turned around and put my attention back on my target.

I stood across the target, my feet parallel to the target. My gloved hand clutched the bow as I started to get into position. It had been a while since I last used an actual bow, at least this one was a compound bow, easier to use than a longbow. Breathing out again, I took out an arrow from my quiver and nocked it to the string. Gripping the bow tightly in my arms, I drew the string back and anchored it. I focused my attention on glaring red and black targets up in front of me. It was far. 

Another deep breath, I gripped the bow and let go of the string. The first one was always hard. The arrow flew through the air and landed just shy of the center. Not bad. Blowing out a breath, I picked another arrow and repeated the motions once more, letting that arrow go. I took out another one and let that go. The two arrows followed behind each other. The second one landed on the opposite side of the target. Close. The third one. Surprised me. It landed right in the center. My breath caught up in my throat. 

A laugh escaped me before I could help myself. My eyes widened as I threw my fist in the air. I turned around to face my audience and gave a little bow. “And that’s how it’s done, folks.” I bragged with a huge grin, opening my fist to the sky. 

In my excitement, I didn’t even notice the sudden change in the mood. My uncle’s eyes widened, his and everyone else’s faces switched from mildly endeared to concerned or intrigued in seconds. Noticing this, I craned my head. “That’s not normal.” Christian pointed at my free hand. 

Slowly, I moved my head to see what he was pointing at. Small dusts of light escaped through my gloved hand. Oh my god. I didn’t notice. “I can explain.” I began. 

“Ava’s also a witch?” Flynn questioned. “Not fair!”

“Not exactly.” Daniel and uncle Nate stated at the same time. They both shared a look before Daniel gestured for uncle Nate to take the lead. “I was gonna tell you all—”

“—That Ava has super powers.” 

“Flynn.” Christian warned his younger brother. 

“Not exactly. She has magic.” Uncle Nate continued. 

“But she’s not a witch?” Christian questioned. “What is she then?”

I watched as the wisps disappeared into the bright afternoon sky. “Your guess is as good as mine.” I said, removing my gloves. I brought my hands together as the wisps drew together into a ball of iridescent light. It glowed brightly in a flurry lilac, sunshine yellow and some flickers of sky blue. Unlike before, the glow was different. It was brighter, there were more wisps of purple and less amber. 

“That’s so cool.” Flynn said in a quite awed voice. 

“It’s actually pretty warm.” I joked. 

Uncle Nate rolled his eyes and sighed at my terrible attempt at making a joke. “Actually...” He clicked his finger and dragged Flynn further. Flynn just let himself be dragged. After that he gestured to my brother and my other cousin to move further away from me. “Alright.” He rubbed his hands together. “I want you to aim for that.” He pointed at a wooden target hanging from a tree above the targets I had been aiming my arrows at. 

“That one?” I pointed to the wooden target. It was a little further and you really had to squint to see it. Uncle Nate nodded. “I—I’m not gonna be able to—”

“J—just try. Okay.”

I sighed and raised my arms, focusing all my will into forming a smaller orb. The iridescent ball shrunk until it was the size of a baseball. Taking in a deep breath, I threw the ball of light between my hands. My hands were a little sweaty. Nerves were taking over me. I mean, it was natural. I had never done something like this before. Another look back at my audience. I swallowed and twisted my body. Bringing my right foot back, I threw the orb at the target with my left hand. The ball flew through the air, the wisps of light almost trying to escape but reformed once more before it hit the target right in the middle. 

The wooden target instantly caught on fire like someone had taken a huge magnifying glass and aimed the rays of sun into one spot. Smoke wafted through the air as the fire burnt a hole through the old target. Then it was over. The fire stopped, leaving a huge gaping hole in the old target. 

“Woah. That was so cool.” Flynn stared at me with his hands clutched in excitement. His eyes were huge and his mouth agape.

“Not bad.” Christian lightly commented, not daring to show his true emotions. He sighed and lightly hit the back of his younger brother’s head. “Close your mouth.” 

* * *

Before I knew it the holiday season had passed in a blink of an eye. Uncle Nate and dad made us train like hell. You’d think they were training us for the end of the world or something. On the bright side, I managed to get my magic under control. I could now summon light whenever I wanted to, make it float, use it to attack etcetera. I kinda wish I learned before instead of putting it off, maybe then there would be less casualties or maybe I would’ve stood a chance. 

At least, I made sure to check in on Bonnie. She and I kept in touch while she stayed over at her aunt’s on her dad’s side. Now and then, Caroline would crash our calls and we’d do a group call. As for Elena. I sighed as I brushed my hair thinking about my other childhood best friend. It wasn’t like I was avoiding her but it was hard to see or think about her without her words to Sheila echoing in my head. Like what was she thinking asking Sheila to open the tomb? 

I clutched the hairbrush tightly, staring into my reflection. I couldn’t blame her. _But you could._ I gently put down the brush and grabbed some pins. Carefully, I pinned some of my hair back. I finished quickly but instead of doing anything, I just stared down at my hands. I still felt empty.

The loud ringing of my phone broke my train of thought. I rolled my eyes and got up. Apprehensively, I reached for my phone on the far left corner of the dressing table. Please don’t be him. Please don’t be Damon. I had just about enough of his stupid drunk calls. Like no I don’t want to be your therapist or your friend or listen to you ramble on tragically at three in the freaking morning. 

I paused and poked my cheeks in uncertainty looking at the caller ID. _Elena._ I sucked in a breath and carefully tried to map out my thoughts. Don't Be rude. Don’t blow up. Be nice. I chanted in my head. Cough. Cough. I cleared my throat and let out a nervous breath. 

“Ava. Hey.” Elena nervously greeted me from the other side of my cell phone.

“Hi.” I replied as I sat down on my bed.

“H...how have you been?”

“Good. Spending time with my family. We went to Paris for the New Year.” 

“Oh. How was that?”

“It was good until Lauren threw up on my bed, the morning after the new year.”

I heard Elena make a sound. “That sucks.”

“Yeah, great way to start the new year...but you didn’t call for some small talk, did you?”

She tried to protest against what I had said before audibly sighing. “I was trying to catch up—”

“—And ask me for a favor.” I cut her off before she started trying to make a flimsy excuse or mention Sheila and Bonnie. Last thing I wanted for my temper to flair up and me to say something I would regret. 

“Well...I think I found a way to get to my birth mother.” She slowly revealed. 

Hearing her, I stood up and moved to grab my journal and some post-it notes. I needed to make a note of this before I forgot. “What do you mean?” I sat back down and grabbed a pen. 

“Isobel. Her name was Isobel.”

“We know that part already.”

“Yeah but get this—” I heard some rustling on the other side of the phone. “—Mr Saltzman’s wife was also called Isobel.” 

Thought that name sounded familiar, I knew I had heard that name inside Mr Saltzman’s head, more times than I could remember. Especially when he was with Damon. “A coincidence?” 

“That’s what I thought...until Jenna decided to ask him.” She paused for a moment. For a moment, I decided to put my unease with Elena and Salvatore brothers to rest, choosing to focus on ‘Isobel’ instead. ”Mr Saltzman said his wife was called ‘Isobel Peterson’, so Jenna bing’ed that name. Her picture came up along with another woman’s. Jenna showed him the picture.”

“Then what?”

“It was her.”

“What?”

“Mr Saltzman’s wife is my birth mother.”

For a moment, I didn’t say anything. “Wow. Who would’ve thought? Mr Saltzman’s your stepdad. Did not see that one coming.”

“Out of everything, you decided to focus on that?”

“Hey. It’s interesting. Our history teacher is your stepdad.”

“Ava.”

“Right. Right.” I shook my head and stopped myself from making anymore sarcastic comments. “...Are you sure about this? Finding your birth mom.” I asked, cautiously. The gnawing feeling was back and I was worried. Something was telling me that this ‘Isobel’ case was gonna be the next ‘Pandora’s box’ after the whole ‘tomb’ business. 

“Yeah. I have to know.” 

“I don’t know, ‘Lena. I have a bad feeling about this.”

“And I trust you. I wish I did back before—”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Can you come with me?” Her voice dropped down and she sounded somewhat sincere. From her tone, some desperation seeped through. “Please, Ava...”

“Where exactly are we talking about?”

“Grove Hill.”

My eyes widened as I heard that name. I knew that town well. Too well. The ‘Grove Hill Cemetery’ was a constant in my childhood. Oh boy. I sucked in a breath and licked my dry lips. “Grove Hill, Virginia?” I tried.

“Yeah, it’s not far. I can drive us there.”

“I know.” I quietly replied. “I’ll ask my mom and get back to you soon.” Without even waiting for her reply I hung up. This was gonna be a long day. 

* * *

"Elena called me earlier and...asked me to go with her to Grove Hill." 

I watched my mom carefully as she froze hearing that town name. She swallowed and slowly turned to stare at me. Her eyes wide, her jaws clenched and lips pursed. She was not happy or in a particularly good mood. 

Carefully, I pushed myself off my seat near kitchen island and walked over to her. I made a move to snap out of her daze but she moved faster. 

She gasped and broke out of a daydream. Hunching over the kitchen sink, she almost broke down. But before I could blink she stood up after a second as if nothing had happened. I sighed and looked away, taking my hand away and wrapping my arms around me, awkwardly. I should've known better to bring up that town. After all, it was where she became an orphan. 

"Why?" I heard a hoarse voice ask. 

My head snapped to the direction of the voice, only to find it was none other than my own mother. I had never seen her like this. Seeing my reaction, she coughed twice and quickly composed herself. And she was back to being the perfect woman everyone knew her to be. I frowned. She's still grieving. 

She coughed again and turned around for a moment. I watched with trained eyes as she loved to grab a glass off the rack and fill it with water from a nearby glass jug. "...sore throat." I heard her make a flimsy excuse. She really thought I would believe that. 

"It's fine." I mumbled back. "I can come back later." I tried, slowly backing away. 

"No. No. It's really fine." She emptied the glass within seconds and started washing it. "Um. Right, you were saying—Elena asked you about..." She started again but drifted off right before she uttered 'Grove Hill'. There was a feigned cheeriness to her tone that almost felt grating to my ears. 

"Grove Hill." I added. 

"Right. So why did—" She picked up a towel and dried the glass, hanging it up again on the rack. "—she asked about that?" 

I sighed and took a step back. "You remember her whole thing with finding out she was adopted." She made a sound of understanding. "Okay. So she did some digging. Turns out, her biological mom was from Grove Hill." I sucked a breath and started again "And she may or may not be my history teacher, Alaric's ex-slash-not-really-ex dead wife. Almost forgot, Alaric may or may not be a vampire hunter whose trying to find his wife's killer who might be Damon. At least that’s what Stefan told me." 

"Come again." 

"Huh? Which part?" 

"Uh. All of it, maybe?" She blinked, confusedly. Tilting her head to the side, her eyes wandered above, trying to make sense of what I just said. She scrunched up her face and tried to visualize it. "Wait. I think I've got it." She clapped her hands and stared at me. "Elena's real mom had her with someone unknown but then went on to marry your history teacher, Alaric Saltzman who—pause—is a vampire hunter." 

"Yep. Pretty much." 

She blinked again. "And I thought this family was insane." 

"Hey, at least our family tree is not...that complicated." I whined, clearly offended.

"It is. Once you start digging into your Grandma Mila's family." She stated under her breath. "Off topic?" 

I nodded. "Anyways. Elena said her mom's name was Isobel—" 

"Oh my god." Mom exclaimed. 

"What?" 

"Elena is Izzie's kid. All this time, I thought she was just a random orphan. Wow. I...should've seen the resemblance, really." 

"Pause. Wha—" 

She had a far off look in her eyes like she was remembering something from another time. "Um. Isobel, Elena's real mom was someone I knew a long time ago." She leaned against the sink and clasped her hands. "She was a few years younger than me. Actually, she was the same age as your aunt Sonya. I remember them being...really good friends. Isobel was devastated when Sonya passed away." Her eyes started watering. "A sweet girl but she was a kind of a...bitch at times but she bawled like crazy at the funeral." She sucked in a breath and smiled sadly. "Maybe that's where it started." 

I scrunched up my face and stared at her. "Where 'what' started?" 

"...Her obsession with death." My eyes widened at her words and I shook my head in disbelief. "She was...eh... obsessed with the dead. Well, more precisely, the idea of evading death..." She drifted off and narrowed her eyes. "Come to think of it, she hung out with John a lot and y'know founding families and their vampire problem." 

Ignoring the latter bit, I focused on the name she mentioned. "John? As in Elena's uncle." She nodded. 

"I wouldn't rule him out as being Elena's real dad." I made a look of disgust and gagged. "What? It could be true. Grayson always mentioned that Elena was a Gilbert, no matter what. Even if she was adopted." She turned to look at me with a serious look. "So don't rule out John just yet. There's not many Gilberts left after all."

* * *

Elena quietly drove through the almost empty roads of Grove Hill. I sat beside her and stared out the window. Unlike last time I had seen her, this was a comfortable type of silence. Grove Hill really hadn’t changed since the last time I had been here. The same places were still standing. I smiled when we passed the café that used to be mom’s favorite. I remember them having the best apple pies.

“Who would’ve thought your mom knew mine.” Elena randomly commented as she stopped at the signal.

I laughed quietly and turned to face her. “Small world. Huh.”

“Yeah. I wonder if they were close.” 

“Not really but I heard Isobel was close to my aunt.” I replied, glancing at my best friend. 

She turned to stare at me in silent surprise. “I didn’t know Diana and Evelyn knew people from Grove Hill.” 

“They didn’t.”

“Then who—”

“My mom’s younger sister, Sonia—she and Isobel were apparently childhood friends along with Trudie Peterson.” 

“Oh. How come I’ve never met her.” Elena questioned out-loud just as the lights switched to green. 

She started the car again and started driving. “We can meet her if you want to.” Elena glanced at me with a small but interested smile. “...Right over there.” I pointed to the ‘Grove Hill Cemetery’ just as Elena passed it. 

Her smile froze and she blinked rapidly. “Oh. She’s—”

“—died when my mom was fifteen.” I said with a small sad smile. 

“I didn’t know...”

“I never mentioned it.” I freed myself from the seatbelts and waited as Elena parked the car outside an old house. “A burglary gone wrong. At least that’s what the cops said.”

She nodded understandingly and got out of the car. I followed her. I watched in silence as she held up the Post-It note with Trudie's address and then looked up at the house to match the address. Nervously, Elena walked up to the front door. She paused to glance at me for support and to follow her. I sighed as I stopped leaning against her car and followed her to the entrance of the old house. 

Another deep breath, Elena’s hands shook slightly as she prepared to knock, but hesitated for a moment. Oh boy, this was gonna take a while. I rolled my eyes and gently shoved her aside. Without even a moment of hesitation, I knocked three times on the door. 

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

We waited a while but nothing. No answer. Elena groaned disappointedly and turned her away, preparing to drive back to Mystic Falls. But I didn’t move. There was a sound of the handle being turned and the door opened. On the other side stood a woman in her mid-to-early thirties. She looked like she had seen better days. Behind her eye bags and messy blonde curls, I could tell she was once very pretty. She still was but I guess her best days had gone by.

The three of us stared at each other in confusion. The woman tried to smile at us, only for it to come out as an half-attempt. “Trudie Peterson?” I asked. 

“Yes?” She answered, dazed.

“I’m Rose.” I gestured to myself. Elena raised her eyebrows at that. I didn’t even bother to stutter or give Elena a quick explanation. Just because she was an old friend of aunt Sonia and Isobel’s didn’t mean I had to give her my real name. Besides, it wasn’t a fake name. It was my middle name. “Layla Shaik’s daughter and Sonia’s niece.” I continued.

Her eyes widened and a genuine smile across her face. Hearing my late aunt’s name, she looked brighter, relaxed and almost nostalgic. “Oh I haven’t heard those names in a while.” 

“Right.” I clasped my hands together and beamed brightly, giving her my best smile before turning to Elena. “Um. My friend has something to ask you.” I signalled her to start or even try to begin somewhere instead of standing there awkwardly. 

Getting the hint, Elena moved a little closer to Isobel. “Uh, my name is Elena Gilbert.” She began unclasping her hands and clasping them again. “I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming.” 

“Well, there’s another name I haven't heard in years. How do you know her?”

“I think that, um, well...do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption?”

She stared at Elena in surprise as she brought her hands to her mouth. Her eyes wide like someone had thrown cold water all over her. She shivered a little and let out a breath. “My god." She paused to collect herself for a second. "You're her daughter.” She laughed a little. At first glance it seemed like she was happy but I noticed that she started fidgeting with her hands. She was nervous for some reason. “I was just gonna make some tea. Would you two like some?”

“Sure.” Elena answered before I could even register what Trudie had said. I glanced at Elena from the corner of my eyes, still a little apprehensive about it all.

Trudie stopped fidgeting and took a step back. Her smile felt more and more plastic to me. “Uh, the kitchen's this way.” She said with a dazed look and backed away from the door, almost giving way for us.

Taking the lead, Elena stepped over the threshold. I followed her quietly, still keeping my eyes on Trudie. Discreetly, I watched as Trudie released a breath, like she was relieved. The moment we were inside. She hurried behind me and shut the front door but not before she threw a quick nervous glance outside. I turned around and followed Elena before she noticed me staring. Pausing, I let the hands fall to its side as I realized something. Trudie never invited us in. She just ushered us to the kitchen without telling us to come in.

Slowly, my eyes wandered over to Trudie who was just walking over. "Is everything okay?" She asked with an anxious smile. I flashed a painted smile and simply nodded. "Well, the kitchen's this way."

"Ah right. I have a really bad sense of direction." I lied as I laughed. 

Trudie laughed. It was different from before. This time it was more relaxed. "Sonia was like that too." She commented with a friendly grin, leading the way. "...Has anyone told you, that you look a lot like your—"

"—Grandma Mila?" 

"Yes." She beamed brightly. "Especially the eyes."

"Mom does a lot."

"Hmm." She giggled and shook her head. 

The memories of better times gave a slight shine to her blue eyes that previously looked dull and lifeless. I watched as she peeked her head into a room which I guessed was the kitchen. Elena was already inside. That I knew. Guess she was checking if Elena found her way. She pursed her lips and blinked twice before painting on a smile. Tilting her head back and forth, she gestured me into the kitchen and I followed with my suspicions.

* * *

"We weren't gonna come." Elena began as she started to remove her jacket just as Trudie and I walked in. 

"We didn't think we were." I chimed in, only unwrapping the belt of my short red coat. Unlike Elena, I was still on my guard and was very reserved against Trudie. She knew more than she let on.

"—but I was driving, and I hit this stoplight…" Elena continued. "...and it made me think about when I was learning how to drive and then my mom would always warn me about this blind turn on the left-hand side, and then I was thinking about my mom, and—I had your address. A—Rose was with me so I thought why not." She pulled at her scarf as she stared at Trudie with a hopeful look. "We're sorry for barging in." She ended with a sheepish grin.

Trudie shook her head and flashed a kind smile. "It's no problem." She gestured as to sit down as she did so. I decided to sit in the middle of Elena and Trudie. Honestly, I would've preferred to stand. "Um, just a surprise, though." _"She shouldn't be here." "—is not going to be happy." "I need to quickly send them off." "She looks like Izzie…" "I wonder how Sonia would feel seeing her niece." "Sonia." "Isobel."_

I shook my head just as Trudie's thoughts bombarded me. A slight headache was growing. A loud static rang through my ears. Then there was nothing. When I came back to reality, I tried to catch on to what Elena and Trudie were talking about. At least I got something out of it. She was still in touch with Isobel or thought of her a lot. And one of us was not meant to be here. 

Curiously I stared at Elena who was animatedly talking to Trudie without a care in the world. Geez, this girl really was so defenceless. You'd think being surrounded by vampires, she'd be less trusting. I mentally facepalmed myself seeing how trusting Elena was. Especially when the person she was talking to, did not want her here at all. 

"—17 years ago, when she left to go have you. We kept in touch for a while, but, well, you know, people drift apart." I barely managed to catch that just as I stopped mulling over my own thoughts. "Are you okay?" Trudie asked, looking concerned. 

"Sorry, I was kinda in my thoughts." I replied with a friendly but awkward grin. Trudie nodded fondly and turned back to Elena. 

"And you don't know where she ended up?" Elena questioned. 

"She was in Florida for a while. She was on her own. I know it wasn't easy."

I leaned forward and put my hands on the table. "How come her parents never stepped up?"

"Well. Her relationship with her parents wasn't really the best." She laughed nervously and bit her lips. "If anything she had a better relationship with your grandparents and y'know how that ended."

"My mom mentioned." I quietly commented.

Elena nodded at this, taking the information. "Do you have any idea who my father is?" She asked a little hesitantly. 

"I could never get her to fess up. Anyway, she finally pulled it together, got into college on a scholarship."

"Where did she go?

"Somewhere in North Carolina. Duke, I think. Smart girl, smart school." Trudie clasped her hands together and widened her smile. "Come to think of it. I heard Layla went to Duke."

"My dad went there too." I added.

"How cute." She commented. "Did they meet there?" 

"No. Uh. They actually met in High School." 

The loud shrill whistling sound interrupted the conversation. Trudie craned her head over Elena to take a look at the stove. "Let me just grab that." _"I need to tell him." "—needs to leave..." "—Just like her mother, getting innocent people involv—"_

I raised my eyebrows at Trudie's fleeting thoughts just as she walked away. She definitely was in contact with Isobel or Isobel had dragged her into something she wanted no part in. Hmm. Maybe this day wasn't gonna be so wasteful. 

"Why did you tell her your middle name?" Elena whispered.

I pursed my lips and leaned over to her. "Because there is something 'off' about her."

"Ava!" She hissed.

"Hey. Right now, it's Rose. And I'm allowed to be on the defence." 

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever. Just don't mess it up."

"Speak for yourself, 'Lena." 

* * *

I paced outside for a bit, holding up my phone to my ear. Now and then I would crane my head to Trudie's kitchen window and try to peer in, to check on Elena. Ugh. I didn't wanna leave her alone but Matt called and I didn't blow him off either. I mean I could still somewhat read their thoughts inside. 

"...Ava? You there?" Matt's frustrated voice echoed through the other side as I stopped pacing.

"I was actually listening." 

"Sorry. I'm just on the edge."

"I mean your mom's back. I can understand." 

"It's just—I don't get her. She leaves then comes back into town outta nowhere and doesn't even care where Vicki might be."

My throat seized up and my palms became sweaty at the mention of Vicki. I swallowed thickly and made a sound. "Can I say something?" 

"Go on."

"I think you're being...a little harsh on her. Also I get it she's a terrible mom. No offence—"

"None taken."

"...It's just y'know how bad she is but you're still going off on her for meeting your expectations on the 'bad parent scale'. I honestly feel bad for her too—hard being a single parent. God knows how Caroline's mom did it. Even so Caroline had her dad for a while—I'm tryna see all sides of the story."

"And I appreciate that. But—" He sighed audibly. "I don't know, Rosy. It's hard."

"I know. Y'know you can always crash at my place if things get that bad. I'm sure Dan would love to have you over."

"I'll keep that in mind. Also can you keep this between us?"

"Meaning?" 

"Don't tell Caroline 'bout this. She gets jealous really easily."

I laughed in disbelief. "Seriously? Come on." Matt didn't say anything. "Oh wow. Gotcha I'll keep this between us. Kinda feels weird but okay." 

"I mean that's not the only reason."

"She can't stand your mom?" 

"She can't stand my mom." Matt repeated, confirming what I said. "And mom can't stand her—more to do with the fact Caroline's mom's the Sheriff."

"Modern day Romeo and Juliet. Adorable." Before Matt could protest or reply. "Hey, look I gotta. I'll see you around?" 

I flipped my phone close and made my way back inside. I walked over to the kitchen and sat down where I sat before. My scarf on the back of the chair. On the table, there were pictures and yearbooks scattered around. Elena and Trudie were leaning over them and going through them. Trudie looked nostalgic and in a daze while Elena looked happy and content. 

"You're back." Trudie commented with a light smile on her face. 

"Yeah…sorry that took a while." 

"It's fine." She shook her head and passed a teacup in my direction. "It's still slightly warm."

"Thanks." Gingerly I brought the tea to my face. Before I even could drink, I smelt it. The soft citrus-like scent I knew too well. _Vervain._

She knew. 

Trudie definitely knew about vampires. Without a word, I took small sips of the tea. It wasn't poison. Seeing me drink it, Trudie relaxed and flipped a page of the yearbook. "Do you like it?" She asked. 

"It's nice. Is it an herbal mixed with lemon or lime?" I questioned with a hint of nativity. 

"Something like that." Trudie replied quietly. 

I watched as she leaned back down and flipped another page of the yearbook. She stopped at a page. Pointing at a picture of her and Isobel, she laughed fondly. 

"Ah. They came to the games for us." She began with a slight bashful look. "The football team hadn't won in years. We were the stars." She paused and then shrugged, almost correcting herself. "Well, Izzie was. But I was a damn good backup."

"Heh. This is great. Thank you." Elena smiled and pursed her lips. Her eyes glistened with joy. But I was even more apprehensive now. 

Trudie nodded. "You're welcome." Her smile died when she noticed my almost empty cup and Elena's untouched cup. She eyed Elena for a second before plastering a small nervous smile "You haven't touched your tea."

"Oh. Yeah."

I silently watched as Elena picked the cup up and took a sip. Raising my eyebrows, I watched carefully. I wonder if she noticed. Oh she noticed. She furrowed her brow at the taste of tea and brought the cup closer before giving it a whiff.

Oh no. I knew that look.

"What is this?" Elena asked, clearly alarmed. 

I got up suddenly, ready to stop her. "Oh, it's just some herbal mixture." Trudie nervously replied, fidgeting with her hands.

"Vervain?" Elena questioned. I mentally shouted at her for that. 

For a moment Trudie didn't say anything. "Vervain?" I repeated after a while. Tilting my head and widening my eyes while staring at Trudie. She started trembling as we both stared at her. Elena's look was hostile and full of betrayal while I acted confused. 

"You know." Elena carried on.

"Know what?" Trudie feigned.

"Elena I think you need to calm down." I tried to ease the tension in the room.

"Listen to Rose. Calm down."

Elena shook her. "You didn't invite us in, and you're serving vervain tea. You know." So she did notice. Maybe she should've kept it to herself. 

All of sudden, Trudie stood up. She was shaking. Not from the cold or anger but in...fear. She kept glancing around. "I think that you two should probably leave."

"Trudie…" I tried again.

"Thank you." She simply replied. "It was nice to meet you. Tell your mother I said 'Hi', Rose." 

I opened and closed my mouth. Elena and I shared a look as she placed the cup back on the table. "Wait. What are you not telling us?"

"Please leave." Trudie all but begged. "Now!" She shouted, still shivering. 

Elena and I stared at each other before Elena grabbed her jacket and put it on. I mimicked her and grabbed my scarf. Without another word, Elena started to head out. As I left, my eyes lingered on Trudie who wrapped her arms around herself. 

The moment I reached the front door, I stopped. There was a gnawing feeling in the back of my mind. Slowly I turned around to face the stairs and then looked at the entrance. "Rose I know you mean well, but please leave." Trudie called out. She stood outside the kitchen, her arms still wrapped around her. 

"...Whatever you do, _don't open your doors. Keep a knife with you when_ **_he_ ** _comes. Don't run up the stairs. Lock yourself in the downstairs bathroom…_ Please." 

"Your eyes…" 

I gasped quietly. "I'm sorry I got lost in my thoughts again. What were you saying?" I asked.

"Nothing." Trudie shook her head and ushered me out the door.

The minute I was out the door, Trudie locked the door. I could hear her thoughts faintly through the wooden door. She was scrambling inside the kitchen, getting a knife for some reason. I shrugged and walked over to Elena.

She stared at the house, a little upset before she shook her head and waved at me. I walked over and engulfed her into a hug, trying to comfort then letting go. She stood back and fumbled around her purse for her keys while I walked over to the passenger seat. Holding her keys up, she started unlocking the car, only to pause.

Her eyes wandered behind the car to the end of the street. I followed her gaze and stopped. There a man stood in the middle of the road. The man tilted his head and started walking towards us. Panicked, Elena and I scrambled to get into the car. She ignited the engine and didn't even wait for the car to heat up or put on her seat belt before driving off.

I looked back and kept an eye on the man who slowly walked over to where we were parked. "Is he following us?" Elena gasped out. 

"No...he's not." I answered, turning back and sitting straight. Elena and I glanced at each other, clearly unnerved by it all. What the hell was that about? "He was human." I muttered.

Slowly, Elena turned to stare at me just as we came to a signal. _Human._ She mouthed. I nodded. Both of us were confused why a human would be following us. Unless. Unless they were compelled. Looks I might be right after all. Lately I had been right more often. And I think I didn't like being right all the time.

* * *

“—Yeah, I know.” I answered lightly, looking around as I got out of my car. I parked in front of the grill and locked the car. Holding my phone up to my ear, I ducked my head as I pushed the door open to the grill. “Flynn, I’ll just pick up the order and be right back. It might take a while.” I mumbled. 

My eyes wandered around the almost packed grill as I weaved my way through the crowd. The preparations for the bachelor raffle was on fire. I guess I had to give Carol some credit for all of this. Even so, all these people for a bachelor raffle. Wow. They need to get on a dating website or something. “Yes. Flynn, I’m here. I’ll get your stupid chilly fries.” I barked. “No, I don’t care if Lauren is throwing a tantrum. Go to Chris. What? Chris is busy? Ugh. Go to Dan—well, I can’t pick up the order and be at the manor at the same time—thank Dan and be extra nice to him.”

“Hey.” Matt beamed as he paused his task and waved me over to the front counter. “Here to pick up your order.”

I nodded and rolled my eyes. I flipped my phone off and put it back into my coat. “Flynn and Lauren are driving me up the wall.” I moaned. 

“Can relate.” He nodded, ducking down to grab a slip of paper. He disappeared for a while and then came back out from the kitchen. “A few more minutes. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I shook my head and clasped my hands together as I took a seat at the bar. “So how’s—y’know?”

Matt let out a tired laugh and sighed. “It’s weird. I’m babysitting my mom.”

“Yikes.”

“Well, I don’t know which I’d babysit, two kids or your own mother.” Matt joked. 

“Two kids.” “Two kids.” We both answered at the same time. “I mean, at least Dan and Chris are there.”

“Oh yeah. So you have some help. Lucky.” He went back to wiping the counter while looking over for any other customers. “I’m just shocked that you guys even placed an order for a family takeout. Aren’t you guys the type to not do that. I remember your mom or even dad cooking for us no matter what.”

I pursed my lips and let out a small groan. “Yeah. For some reason, ‘the adults’ have decided to do their own thing and I can't be bothered to cook. Chris has an essay due due today and Dan is busy with...stuff.”

“That sucks.”

“Agreed.” Matt and I laughed at the same time. 

My laughter died out when I saw Damon. He stared at me with a smirk. His grey-blue eyes were narrowed in on me like a predator watching its prey. It sent shivers down my back. Yes, I was still afraid of vampires even though I acted like I wasn’t. They could literally kill me before I blinked. 

Silently, I cursed myself for not noticing his presence. I guess I was getting too comfortable. Matt gave me a look of concern as his eyes drifted to the older Salvatore. “Do you want me to—”

“No. But thank you.” I cut him off, stopping from doing anything that would put him in danger. He was only human after all. 

Matt nodded. Frustrated he ran his fingers through his hair and glared harshly at the vampire sitting in the distance. Seeing this, Damon simply grinned. Bastard probably found it amusing. I rolled my eyes and just turned away from him. Luckily, that was just when the Sheriff decided to distract Damon for something.

Knowing it would take a while, I decided to take out a book, well, it was more of a play. Matt, in the meantime, carried on working. He would take orders and serve food while wiping the tables, all the while he would keep an eye out on Damon. 

I just stopped caring after a while. I was too busy being immersed in my English homework (that I had totally not forgotten to do) and I didn’t even like ‘Romeo and Juliet’. It was just some stupid play assigned for English. Shakespeare had some good plays and this was overhyped. A couple of teenagers falling in love at first sight, it was strange. Was it really love or the idea of love that enticed these two to get married after a week of acquaintance, I wrote down, bored. Or maybe it was a shared trauma of mutual loss due to family feud, I wrote down. 

“Profound thoughts you got there, George Elliot.” I heard someone comment.

My jaws clenched and my fists hardened around my pen. I really thought it would go away if I just ignored it. But nope. “Damon.” I greeted icily, giving him a side-eye. I really didn’t want to see or talk to him. In fact, my fear of death was being trumped by my rage over Sheila’s death. I was this close to turning him into a pile of dust right here but I held it all in.

“This seat taken?” He asked, not caring about my tone. 

“Yes.” Matt answered, appearing out of nowhere. 

“Really. I don’t believe I asked you.” 

I sat up straight and looked between the two. “Matt.” I quietly said. His eyes snapped to mine. He was concerned. It was natural. His current girlfriend was treated horribly by Damon. “I’ll be fine.” I tried to smile reassuringly. Matt didn’t believe me. “Really.” I tried.

Reluctantly, Matt backed off and went back to the kitchen, to check if my order was done. “So—”

“—What do you want?” I cut him off, turning away from him once again. 

“Geez. Are you angry at me, Little Red?” Damon asked, bringing his face in front of mine and blocking my vision. Little red. Huh, so creative. Maybe I should stop hearing red jackets and coats. 

_Little Red._ Echoed in the back of my mind. 

I flinched back at that and swallowed. ”Don’t call me that.” 

“Well, you’re wearing a re—nevermind. Whew. I messed up. Didn’t I?”

“When do you not?” I smiled sarcastically. Turning to glare at Damon, I closed the worn out copy of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. “Y’know I could give you a whole list of times you have ‘messed’ up and you would manage to add more to the list.”

Damon laughed drunkenly. I poked my cheek, annoyed at this and narrowed my eyes again. “Sorry but you keep a list of times I’ve messed up. Quite extensive, I’d say.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Salvatore.” 

“Says the one who keeps leading me on.” He grinned flirtatiously.

I threw a look of disgust at him and rolled my eyes. “I’ll lead you to hell, how about that?” I bit back.

“And I would follow you there.”

I gagged and turned my head away from him. “Please don’t. I’m not going for a ‘Katherine two-point-O’.”

His face hardened at the mention of Katherine and he looked away. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Inwardly, I smiled, knowing I won this round. He took a swing of his drink. His jaws clenched and his eyes glazed over in despair. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. Sheila Bennett died because of his obsession and I wasn’t going to forget just yet. Elena could. But I wasn’t her.

Lost in his sadness, Damon drank away, almost forgetting about me. I didn’t care to go at him for some cheap shots. I wasn’t someone like that. No, instead I started getting my stuff together and quickly texted my brother and cousins that I’d be home soon. I was already out past the time I was supposed to be. 

“Order for Ava!” One of the other waiters called out just as at my wits end. 

I sighed in relief as Matt hurried over with my order. He shoved the plastic bag in my hand and I passed him the cash, also making sure to tip him. Matt gave me a look, telling me not to go overboard. I shrugged and begrudgingly listened to him. 

I was done here now. There was no point to linger around here. With a final glance to Damon, I got up and started to leave. I didn’t get very far. I barely made it to the parking lot. When I looked up to unlock my car, Damon stood in front of me. He grabbed my wrist and pushed me against another car. It wasn’t painful but it was annoying. 

“Seriously. I don’t have time for this.” I hissed, trying to get out of his grips.

Ignoring my protests, his grip tightened on my wrist. "You knew.” He began. “You knew that Katherine wasn't in the tomb." My breath got caught up in my throat and I almost choked. I did know and the guilt of it was eating me up, day and night. Admitting that I knew would only bring up more questions, I didn’t have the answers. 

He loosened his grips on my wrist and backed off, like he was offering peace. I huffed and tried to get past Damon. But he wouldn't budge at all. There was an intense look in his eye that betrayed the carefree smile on his face. Backing away from him, I looked up at his face. His stormy blue eyes stared deeply into my honey brown eyes trying to find something. "Move." I growled out. 

Ignoring what I said and he carried on. "How did you know?" He took a step forward again, almost trapping me between him and the wall. I was getting tired of his games. I just wanted to go home.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I broke the staring contest first. I'd rather swallow my pride then let anyone else know of those visions. 

"The night we found the grimoire, you said 'Katherine might not be in the tomb'-now..." He trailed off, taking a step back and turning his back to me. "...why would you say something like that?" 

"I told you I was guessing." 

"Guessing?" He repeated. 

I nodded. My jaws clenched and fists tightened. I rolled my eyes and let out a nervous laugh. "Come on, Damon. You think a vampire as old as Katherine would let herself get caught like that?" I shook my head. "No, they wouldn't. You don't make it that far unless you have backup plans." That wasn’t a lie. At least I didn’t think it was. 

Damon laughed sarcastically, making me almost believe he fell for what I was selling. His face dropped as his eyes narrowed. "I'm not disagreeing but what are the chances that you’re almost always right." 

"...Coincidences?" 

He nodded his head, placing his hands behind his back and leaned towards me. "I just find it funny how you just happen to be at places where you have no business being or..." He stood straight and backed off. "Or...you just happen to know things that you shouldn't." 

"Good instinct?" I tried with a nervous smile. 

"I don't buy that. Not for one second. I know there's more to you then 'that', glow-thing." He gestured to my hands. "I just know it." 

“Maybe there is. Maybe there isn’t but one thing’s for sure. I’m not ever gonna tell you.” I bit back. 

“You will.” He stated.

“I won’t.” I retorted nonchalantly as I rubbed my sore wrists. I pushed past him, I strutted over to my car and unlocked it. “Oh and heads up. If you’re gonna go and have your little temper tantrums, could you not go on the sorority girl diet.” I turned around and folded my arms, the door of the driver’s seat, half-open.

“Stefan complained.” He said with a bored look.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “He didn’t have to. The whole ‘sorority girls flocking to a boring small town over winter break when they could be going on ski trips’ is a huge red flag.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“No you won’t.” I retorted, getting in and not even bothering to bid him a goodbye. I was so drained. Talking to him just drained me. Mentally and emotionally. 

* * *

Mom clutched one of my arms as we both walked into the Grill with bright smiles on our faces. We were trying our best to keep up appearances. Downside of being one of the founding families. She sighed and waved at Carol Lockwood, who stood on the stage. Mrs Lockwood smiled and I watched as she handed her mic over to one of her assistants before coming over to us. 

“Layla!” She squealed quietly in faux-joy as she engulfed my mom in a hug, severing the connection between me and mom. Reluctantly, I let go and stood back. She also let go and stood straight. “Thank you so much for coming. I know it must’ve taken a lot from your time with the hospital and all.” 

Seeing these two from the outside, a stranger would never be able to tell that the Lockwoods and Fitzroys did not like each other at all but then again neither mom or Mrs Lockwood were an actual Fitzroy or Lockwood. They were free to do whatever they wanted without the whole grudge of the past.

“Not at all, Carol.” Mom said in a sickly sweet smile. “I took some time off after Sheila’s...passing.”

Mrs Lockwood nodded in feigned sympathy as she patted my mom’s arm in small comfort. “It must be hard losing someone again. First your own mother, then your mother-in-law and now your godmother.” She paused to smile at me. “It must be really hard.” Wow, she really outdid herself. I wanted to snap at her for being so goddamn insensitive but I held myself back.

“I’m coping.” 

“I understand.” Mrs Lockwood smiled again. It looked sincere enough to me this time and it seemed there wasn’t any hidden meaning to it. She sucked in a breath and let it out before going back to her ‘trophy wife’ self. “So I take it Nathaniel will be skipping on this again?” She asked, looking for a sign of my uncle. Instead, her eyes travelled to my father who looked busy with Mayor Lockwood and Sheriff Forbes.

Mom smiled tightly and shrugged. “Well, he’d rather donate then take part.” She replied with a polite nod. 

“Of course. I understand.” She replied without even looking at my mom. That was rude. "Well, will you be buying a ticket?" She asked, again not even looking. 

"I'm good, Carol. But thank you for your generous offer." Mom retorted, her annoyance almost leaking through. 

Mrs Lockwood turned back to face, at last and blinked twice. She looked confused for a second, her eyes trailed to my dad and her husband and back to my mom. She let out a little laugh that sounded a bit upsetting as she nodded. "I understand." She patted mom's arm and left. 

I watched her walk off and act as if nothing had happened. "Well. That was weird." I stated. 

"Tell me about it." 

"Layla? Is that you?" A slow and seductive voice called to my mom just as Mrs Lockwood left. 

Mom and I shared a look before she turned around. I followed her actions and found none other than a woman. She had brunette curls that looked presentable but at the same time, she looked the opposite. Oh god. I mean I knew she was back. But seeing is different. Kelly Donovan, Matt and Vicki's mom. Matt and I shared a look of panic. Kelly was a loose cannon to say the least and a not-so great mom. She was always on the move ever since Matt and Vicki's dad left. But she could be sweet and kind when she wanted to. 

I shook my head of those thoughts and took in the view. Kelly stood near the ticket booth, well, it wasn't exactly a booth. It was more like a table where Caroline sat and Matt stood by his girlfriend for support. Elena stood by, looking as hell. She really did not want to be there. Kelly stood next to Caroline over the counter with a beaming smile. 

On the other hand, Caroline looked tired. She had a bright smile plastered on her face that seemed inviting and perky but her eyes screamed 'kill me now'. I almost snorted seeing my blonde best friend, doing her best to be nice. 

Mom walked over to Kelly and stood in front of her. "Kelly, it's been a while." She started with her hands clasped together. The two women smiled brightly at each other. Unlike with Carol, my mom actually looked genuinely happy to see her.

"It has. Hasn't it?" Kelly laughed as she engulfed my mom into a hug. "Oh you haven't changed a bit and here I thought marrying into a Founding family would turn you into another—" She dropped her voice and leaned in. "—'Carol' but you're still the same."

Mom rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Are you gonna stick around for a while?" She asked, ignoring the comparison to Carol Lockwood. 

"Maybe. Who knows? I'm a free-spirit." 

"Kells…" 

"Hey, not everyone can be happy and stable. You got lucky Lay." 

"Kells…"

"By the way. How is Gabe?"

"He's fine. As you can see." Mom turned around and gestured to my dad who was in the distance, chatting away with the council members. 

Kelly smiled sadly before she shook her head and turned to me. "And wow." She looked back and gave her son a look. Oh I knew that look. Awkward. "Look at you. You've grown up so well. Took after both your parents."

"Thank you, Kelly." I politely replied. 

"Aww. Last time I saw you and your brother, you two were tiny. And now look at you. Oh how's Dan?" 

"He's a freshman in college." Mom answered.

"Wow. A freshman. They grow up so fast." Kelly commented, dazed. 

Elena and I shared an awkward look while Kelly looked lost in her own thoughts. Caroline looked a little sad for a second for being ignored by Matt’s mom but she quickly masked it with a small but welcoming smile on her face. 

All of sudden, Kelly snapped out of her little daze. “Oh.” She glanced over at Caroline and gave her a painted smile while she looped her hands around my mom’s like it was the most natural thing in the world. My mom just simply went along with her old friend’s actions, not even caring at the point. 

With her free hand, Kelly took out some cash and handed it to Caroline. “Here you go, sweetheart.” Gingerly, Caroline accepted the cash and started counting away, ready to ask her how many tickets she wanted but Kelly beat her to it. “...However many that'll buy.” Kelly added absentmindedly. 

Seeing her friend’s actions, mom frowned and sighed. But she chose not to say anything instead she threw an apologetic to Caroline. Kelly, ignorant to everything else rambled on. “I just hope I don't get Bachelor 3. I dated him in high school. You remember that? Don’t you, Lay?”

Mom nodded. “Unfortunately. I remember it too well...especially the—yeah, I’m not gonna.” She said with grimace. 

“A total waste of time.” Kelly added. “Not impressive.” She dropped her voice and turned to us. ”In any way.”

Matt’s face turned a few shades of red as he shook his head in embarrassment. Mom slapped her hand on her face and groaned quietly. “Kelly.” She hissed, trying to save some face. “I’m so sorry, Matt.” She added in a quiet voice. Caroline smiled awkwardly while Elena looked like she wanted to hide. I decided I was never there. Never saw that or heard that. I was simply not there, mentally.

Kelly simply ignored all of that and smiled excitedly as Caroline handed her the tickets. “Very exciting.” She took the tickets and walked off into the grill with my mom, who no doubt would struggle all night to keep her old friend in check. 

“None of you guys better pull that on me when we get to that age.” I stated, watching the two women walk away.

“You definitely won’t get that from me.” Matt said with a traumatised look. 

“Or me.” Caroline and Elena said at the same time. 

* * *

I sat down at a table at the grill and mindlessly swirled the straw around my drink. My eyes were fixed on the makeshift stage at the center of the grill. Carol Lockwood stood on the with a confident smile despite her husband, the mayor leaving before the event even started. I almost gagged seeing why she was so excited. Damon. Her eyes would wander around but would always stop at Damon. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my drink. 

Slowly, the grip started to get packed as more people shoved themselves into the grill. Some men walked up to the stage and took their places. The bachelors. I choked on my drink when I noticed two familiar faces. Damon. Again. And Mr Saltzman. Unconsciously, I turned around to glance at Jenna. She stood near one of the tables and met my gaze. Instantly, she knew what I was thinking and mouthed ‘for a good cause’. I shook my head and gave her a teasing look. She simply rolled her eyes and went back to focusing on the stage. 

“Stefan.” I greeted without even looking up. “Surprised you showed up.” I carried on, turning to look at my sometimes-friend. 

“Hey. Look I just wanted—” 

“Save your breath. I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” I finished my drink and stood up to look him in the eye.

He looked conflicted and pained as he sighed. “I know but—”

“Wait for her to come back.” I cut him off again. Bonnie was the one who really deserved an apology from him, Elena and Damon. Not me. Sheila was one of the few people Bonnie could call family. “...And before you ask. No. I’m not gonna pass on a message. She’ll hate that even more.”

“Right. Sorry again.”

“You apologize a lot.”

“It’s a...force of habit.”

“Get rid of it.” I smirked. “People will take advantage of that if you don’t.”

“Thanks for your advice.” He flashed a small smile and ran his fingers through his hair as he looked around the grill. I hate to admit but the Salvatore gene was too good. There was no way that both brothers were that good looking. I could see why Elena liked him. Unfortunately, he was too polite and almost a pushover. Not my type. 

Stefan turned back to look at me and opened his mouth to say something. He was tackled into a hug. Elena engulfed her boyfriend and giggled brightly. “There you are.” And it began. The PDA. The couple stared at each other deeply before my friend snapped out of her daze to look at me. “Ava. Hey. Didn’t see you there.”

“Yeah. I bet you didn’t.” I retorted, teasingly, giving Stefan a look. 

“Listen—”

“I really don’t want to.”

“Oh it’s no—there’s Jenna.” She quickly changed the topic as Jenna walked over to a table and sat down. Elena turned to look at her aunt, distractedly and gave me a quick hug before she all but skipped to where Jenna sat down. 

I watched Elena go as I turned to Stefan, again. “She seems happy.” I lightly commented, folding my arms. 

Stefan sucked in a breath and let it out. “Isobel. The trip to Grove Hill was...informative.” Even though he looked happy for his girlfriend, I could tell there was something else. Like me, he didn’t seem too happy about this whole situation. 

“You could say that.” I nodded along. 

“Thank you by the way.” He stood next to me with a ghost of a smile etched onto his face.

“For?” Tilting my head, I questioned. 

“For going with her. I know how hard it must have been after—” He trailed off just when I gave him a look. He didn’t bother to go back to finish his sentence. “Right. Um. You’re heard about Mr Saltzman’s ex-wife.”

“Elena’s birth mom.” He nodded just as I replied. “That’s old news.”

He paused, looking around for something before he looked at Elena. “She doesn’t know this yet but…” He trailed off and took a few steps closer to me. Then he bent down a little, he was now close enough for his lips to brush my ears. I almost froze and instantly wanted to push him away, I liked my space. “...Damon might have killed Isobel.” He whispered, going back to his previous position.

My eyes widened as my mouth was left half open. “Y’know, at this point I shouldn’t even be surprised.” I sighed and my gaze wandered to Elena and then Damon. I almost let out a sarcastic laugh but stopped myself. Elena really was too kind and Damon was someone who didn’t earn that kindness.

“It’s just a suspicion.” He said as I started walking towards Jenna and Elena. Stefan followed me with a pained look. 

“And that usually means one thing, Stef.” I hissed as I weaved through the crowd, trying not to push. 

“Alaric said he saw someone like him over Isobel’s body.”

“So he did it.”

“We don’t know that.” He stopped in the middle of the grill and I stopped as well. He narrowed his eyes and looked really remorseful. 

I simply pursed my lips and rolled my eyes. “Fine.” I didn’t bother to talk to him any longer. Instead I stared at the stage, ignoring the presence of Stefan for now. 

By now, the raffle was in full swing. Mrs Lockwood had already interviewed about three bachelors including that plumber ex of Kelly’s. Speaking of Kelly, my eyes wandered to look over at a table. My mom and Kelly sat next to each other. Dad was nowhere to be found. I snorted quietly seeing this. He must’ve sneaked out when the event started. Kelly looked half-wasted while mom looked sober. 

Bored, I continued to watch the whole show without even moving. Mr Saltzman’s interview was awkward to say the least. He was too distracted by Damon to fully focus. I doubt that he cared. Poor Jenna. She always got stuck with guys who had baggage. 

Then it was Damon’s turn. Ugh. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Stefan wave at Elena with a dazed smile as he stood next to me. She waved back too, mirroring his exact look. These lovefool idiots. 

“God you’re so whipped.” I commented under my breath. In response, he just shrugged but at least he looked lighter. Well, he did. 

Seeing his brother on stage, Stefan visibly stiffened a little. I noticed this and went back to watching the interview when I too stiffened. “—Oh, yeah. L.A., New York. Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina. Near the Duke campus, actually. I think—I think Alaric went to school there.“ My eyes widened and I pursed my lips. Stefan and I shared a look of shock. He couldn’t be serious. 

Just to prove me wrong. He carried on. ”Didn't you, Ric?" Damon turned to stare at Mr Saltzman who also turned to look at him. Mr Saltzman looked haunted and then anger took hold of him. I watched as he clenched his fists and tried to smile away the hurt. 

Mrs Lockwood held the mic awkwardly in front of Damon. She looked between the two men with a frozen smile, trying to decide what to do. “He can’t be serious.” I mumbled.

“Oh he is.” Stefan added. I looked at him incredulously. 

I opened and shut my mouth, trying to find the right words. “Yeah, 'cause I—I know your wife did.” But I never found any. As if it couldn’t get worse. Damon had to go and do that. 

“Elena...” I breathed out as Stefan and I shared another look. 

Worried we both glanced at Elena. The smile she had before started to crumble as we both watched her suck in a deep breath. Without a word, Stefan started moving toward his girlfriend while I just stood rooted to my spot. I glared hard at Damon, not caring if he met my eyes or not. If looks could kill, he would be a pile of ash right now. 

“I had a drink with her once. She was—she was a great girl. I ever tell you that? Cause she was——Delicious. Mmm! Mmm mmm mmm.” Damon carried on.

I brought my hands to my mouth and sucked in a breath. Almost everyone looked a little phased by this. I glanced again at my friend. This time she looked on the verge of tears. She met my gaze with a devastated look. I simply shook my head. I know this was not the time to say this but I did know he was going to screw up even more. 

Silently, I watched as Elena got up and left. Stefan ran after her in a hurry. I wrapped my arm around me and looked away from the stage. I looked back, Damon was staring at me with a proud grin. I simply glared at him hard and turned away. I couldn’t even look at him. I shook my head and turned around to leave. Instead of following Elena and Stefan, I just walked away somewhere else. I didn’t care where. I just wanted to be out of his sight.

* * *

Tiredly, I rubbed my forehead with my left hand just as the headache was starting to form. I didn’t know where exactly in the grill I was anymore. My mind was a mess. It didn’t exactly help that the thoughts everyone around me were loud. Most were still wondering about Damon and Mr Saltzman so I couldn’t exactly escape. 

I came to halt. Elena stood in front of me. Opposite her, Damon stood there. He swayed from side-to-side drunk with glee over getting something over Alaric. Seeing this, my face twisted. Before I could say something, his glee started to fade.

“—Just as I was starting to think that there was something redeemable about you.” I barely heard her. Oh. 

Quickly, I hurried over to her even though I wanted nothing more than to go home. If I just left her to own devices then I know she would say something stupid to get herself killed. “Elena.” Stefan and I both called out at the same time. Stefan had snuck up on his brother and stood behind him while I stood behind Elena. At our voices, she first acknowledged her boyfriend before glancing behind, coming face to face with me.

“Don’t do anything rash.” I stated, gripping her arm. 

She breathed out, tiredly and glared down at me hard. I simply looked up at her like a child who was about to throw a tantrum. Annoyed, she turned to Stefan for some support. Thankfully, Stefan got the message. He shook his head. Defeated, Elena swallowed heavily as she threw a hateful glare at Damon and backed away slowly to stand next to me. 

Confused, Damon’s eyes wandered around, going from me to Elena then to his younger brother. He examined us with narrowed eyes. He turned his head toward Stefan and tilted his head. “Am I missing something here?”

“Did I forget to mention earlier when we were talking about my birth mother? The one that gave me up?” Elena brought his attention back to her. 

“Mm-hm.” He grinned carelessly. 

“Her name was Isobel.”

I clenched my jaws. It still wasn’t getting through to him. "...The same Isobel you killed." Damon glanced at me as I took a step forward. He tried to say something but I ignored him and carried on. "What a small world? Huh." I added with a small sarcastic smile while Elena made a sound of betrayal, trying her hardest not to break down. I almost rolled my eyes at her. Well, what did she expect from someone like Damon? I did warn her. 

I watched as Damon’s cold blue eyes widened as if someone had thrown icy cold water at him. His smile faltered and he almost looked like he was guilty. Almost. He tried to hide it. For some reason, he couldn’t. 

He opened his mouth to say something, only to get cut off by Elena. “Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her.” 

With that, Elena threw me one last fleeting look before she rammed into Damon, pushing into him as she walked past him. Stefan and Damon stared at each other hard. Damon looked as if he was finally realizing that his actions have consequences while Stefan grimaced at his brother. 

“You should go after, ‘Lena. She’s gonna need you.” I smiled comfortingly and wrapped my arms around me. Stefan looked at me and nodded before disappearing through the crowds. 

I craned my head to check once again if my mom was still here, only to find her carrying a half-unconscious Kelly Donavon out of the grill with Matt helping. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Great. What a great way to end this night. I scowled, not even bothering to say or look at Damon. Honestly, I was tired and I had no energy left whatsoever to even mock or tell him off.

“...I messed up.” Damon began, looking at the floor. “Huh. A small world.” He echoed my words. 

I shook my head and started to walk past him. “This isn't my problem. I’m not—”

He flashed me away into a dark hallway and trapped me against the wall. “Did you know about this too? You just watched me taunt Alaric and—”

My back hit the wall and I grunted in pain. I hissed as I recoiled from the pain and looked back at him. His cold blue-grey eyes met my light honey brown ones like he was looking for the truth. Almost gently, he brushed my stray hairs aside and tried to ask me again. Breathing in and breathing out. I tried to drown out the voices of the people still there, instead focusing where Damon was grabbing both of my wrists. I growled and grunted as I pushed Damon off of me. He flew across the hall and landed on the opposite wall as light flooded the darkened hallways. In silent shock, my eyes wandered to my hands. I brought them before me and instead of the wisps forming an orb, it seemed they were floating above my hands. My hands were glowing. Then it was gone.

Damon grunted on the floor as he slowly got up. I shook my head as the light disappeared. Turning away from him I started walking away. “I—I didn’t kill Isobel.” I stopped and turned to stare at him. My dark hair almost falling over my face and covering my vision. “I turned her.”

I choked and took a step back. “...That’s even worse.” I muttered, slowly backing away before running away from the grill. Without looking back, I got into my car and left Damon behind. 

* * *

Light flooded the dark room, shadows disappeared as light drove them out. It didn’t take much time for me to get readjusted to the light. Dust covered the whole room. I looked around the old master room which used to be a storage but now it was a study. The wood panelled walls and grey marble floors were still there. I didn’t bother to change that. I walked in, thinking of the last time I was here in the old master bedroom on the second floor. It was located in the east wing while my bedroom was in the west wing.

Tiredly, I walked over to a wall and stood in front of it. I looked around to see if I was alone before bending down and pressing a wooden panel on the floor, adjacent to the wall. There was a quiet rumbling sound. Standing straight up, I came face to face with the wall slowly drawing itself back. 

_So dramatic_. I thought, rolling my eyes and clicking my fingers. Instantly an orb of light appeared overhead. It floated closer to the shallow cavern in the wall, illuminating its contents. This was so much easier than using a flashlight. 

Pictures of crime scenes and ‘borrowed’ crime reports were hung all across the now-revealed secret wall as I stood across from it. All of the reports were of so-called animal attacks dating back to the 60s around Mystic Falls. I sucked in a breath and started adding more to it. Carefully, I placed the copies of reports and pictures, I brought in with me on the table nearby as I got some pins and started hanging them up. 

I paused. _Hiker found dead. Another animal attack._ This one was recent. I craned my head to look at the article and leaned against the table. _The Hiker’s clothes were missing._ I shuffled the papers around and stopped just as a knock was heard. 

Knock. Knock. 

Sighing, I turned to look at the door. There my brother stood with a grim look on his face. “We have a problem.” He began as he walked in. I didn’t bother to hide the ‘murder board’ from him, everyone in the family knew I had one. It was more to hide from the staff at the manor and guests.

I raised my eyebrows and motioned him to come in. He walked in and stood in front of the board. He breathed out, turning around to glance at me. “The tomb, it’s empty. The vampires are out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Updates will be very slow. I have studies going on right now, so I've been very busy. 
> 
> Anyways, this is episode (1X15) done. A little look at Ava's family dynamics, it's not all happy family for Ava (what's up with her aunt Eve & her dad?) and also a little look at her mother's side of things. That being said, I kind of envisioned the Fitzroys as the 'Van Helsings' of Mystic Falls compared to the Gilberts who are more about experimenting, they are more offensive and defensive, they don't really care to know how vampires work and I really wanted to show that. Gradually, I kind of want to show Ava getting used to her abilities. 
> 
> As for love interests, Damon and Stefan are both in running. Stefan and her have a mutual understanding of the situation while her and Damon have a love/hate thing along with a whole partners-in-crime thing. Damon has a long way to go tho. So we'll see. 
> 
> Until then.


End file.
